


Mortal Kombat: Son of the Dragons

by AlexanderValkyrieDarkov



Series: Son of the Dragons [1]
Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types, Mortal Kombat (Video Games), Mortal Kombat - All Media Types
Genre: Adoptive Uncle Kano, Black Dragon - Freeform, Multi, Orphan - Freeform, Rescue, Templar Johnny Cage
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:08:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 42
Words: 51,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28418868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexanderValkyrieDarkov/pseuds/AlexanderValkyrieDarkov
Summary: Alexander Valkyrie Darkov was raised Black Dragon and now joins Special Force's Next Generation of fighters to discover his place in the realms ultimately discovering his true origins and legacy. Through effort and trial, and with his love Cassie Cage at his side, he will discover his legacy and prove it's more than blood that makes the warrior.A fair warning, there will be heavy use of Scripts from Mortal Kombat 2011, Mortal Kombat X, and Mortal Kombat 11 as seen fit.
Relationships: Cassie Cage/Original Male Character(s)
Series: Son of the Dragons [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2196033
Comments: 4
Kudos: 6





	1. Prologue

In the present, Shao Kahn throws Raiden across the rooftop, causing several lacerations and contusions to appear on the elder god’s body. The seven-foot-tall behemoth of an Outworlder speaks to the seven-foot elder god and protector of Earthrealm in a condensing yet honest tone

“Ages wasted in foolish resistance, to the blind crimes committed to my family.”

Raiden struggles to his knees, he knows Shao Kahn refers to each conquest that was the result of a close loved one’s death, the most recent his beloved Rena Darkov and their daughter Anastasia Rose Darkov. Shao Kahn muses in an almost fatherly tone, as he does still have his newborn son to worry about, who had been shielded by his allies,

“I have won. My son’s future is safe.”

Raiden paused everything clicking, forgetting for the moment the son the Kahn just mentioned.

“Yes... you have won.”

Shao Kahn mused and smirked before remarking

“Now, Raiden. Your world ends.”

Kahn lifts his hammer up and prepares to deliver the finishing blow. Before he can, golden lightning flashes before his feet. More flashes strike the rooftop around them, and from a portal from the heavens, six golden dragons fly out and around Raiden's body, lifting him into the air and revitalizing him. With a final flash, Raiden stands before Shao Kahn, his wounds healed and his hat back on his head. The dragons still surround him and when he speaks, his voice is of the Elder Gods.

“You violate our will, Shao Kahn. You merge realms without a victory in Mortal Kombat. Our penalty is clear.”

Raiden charges up a golden variation of his lightning and blasts Shao Kahn with it. It has no effect and Kahn laughs out loud.

“An anemic effort from ineffectual deities. Today, I become THE Elder God!”

They fight. The battle is truly epic, with neither the repowered Raiden nor Shao Kahn getting any clear advantage for most of it. For what seems like an age, the two titans with everything they have, but eventually the Thunder God prevails and knocks Kahn to the floor. As he struggles to his feet and tries to charge again, Raiden blasts him once more with the golden lightning. This time, the blast has an effect, and the dragons surround Kahn as he is blasted. They begin biting into his body at various places, causing him to scream in pain. His body is scorched by their magic while Raiden is finally released from their control. As he falls forward in exhaustion, the Elder Gods' assault on Shao Kahn causes the warlord to explode in a flash of golden light that reaches to the heavens. The Elder Gods immediately depart in the same light, and as the portal dissipates, the dark clouds surrounding the sky clear away, leaving the sun to shine through. Raiden remains on his knees and looks to his amulet one more time. Finally, the cracks adorning it are removed, and it remains as it once was. He muses

“It is over.”

He places the amulet back on his chest as Sonya and Johnny Cage help him to his feet. He looks around at the destruction and the pain, the deaths of so many innocents

“But only at the gravest of costs.”

They all walk over to Liu Kang's body. The sight of the champion and hero of Earthrealm cut down in his prime sickens Raiden who speaks in a somber remorseful tone

“So many are gone. Their light has sunk into the earth. I am responsible for their loss.”

Sonya Blade, a great soldier says to him

“You did what you had to. To protect Earthrealm. Losses in war... are... are inevitable.”

Raiden is calmed by her wisdom, though he senses she mourns for a lost friend. He then says

“Come. Let us tend the fallen. Then we must help our realm rebuild. Our work has only just begun.”

He teleports himself, Johnny, Sonya, and Liu Kang's body away in a flash of lightning. Only Shao Kahn's war helmet remains on the rooftop, forgotten by all... except the one who walks through an unseen portal and picks it up; Quan Chi. As he examines the trophy, another being fades into existence before him. He speaks to the form

“Your plan worked to perfection, Lord Shinnok.”

His lord Shinnok seems to nod and says

“Shao Kahn was blinded by rage, having lost loved ones, such as his wife and daughter. How easily was he convinced that the Elder Gods would ignore his merging the realms, especially in Rena’s name.”

Quan Chi muses darkly

“Yet the Thunder God still lives.”

His lord waves a hand dismissively before saying

“No matter. Neither Earthrealm nor Outworld can now withstand the Netherrealm's onslaught. It is time. Soon I will be free. Earthrealm and Outworld will be ours.”

Those ominous words echoed out and sang like a prophecy on the winds. The infant son of Shao Kahn was soon found by Kano, in the ruins of the royal nursery alive but very frightened. The infant’s cries were heard by the Black Dragon leader who had known about the twins and had even been tasked with protecting Rena. The two had once been close friends in their childhood so seeing such a familiar and comforting presence soothed the Outworld Kahnuim greatly and allowed her to safely deliver her children. Being a priestess of Apollo, and thus an oracle had said to Kano

“Something bad is going to happen. Please old friend, should both Darana and I die, raise our children as your own. Please.”  
“Of course lov. Yah can rest easy knowen eh be safe with us mates.”

That had been their last conversation as Kano had been tricked away from his old friend and her daughter as she had hidden her son in fear, and only had the time to hide her son. Kano laid the Kahnuim and princess out neatly for the guards to find, and he took the infant prince away from Outworld to raise as his own, nephew rather than a son.


	2. The world gone to hell pt.1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thus begins world building, there are six chapters of this and this is the first. I promise this will get good, but have to get this out of the way first.

The scene opens in a cave adorned with stone statues. The camera pans down to show various human-like figures, who are in fact the Elder Gods. Johnny Cage begins a narration.

“Millions of years ago, Shinnok, one of the Elder Gods, turned on his fellow deities and invaded the Earthrealm.”

The camera finishes it's pan down, revealing Shinnok cowering before five of the Elder Gods, who's statues tower over him. The scene cuts toa shot of a chain, and the camera pans up to show Shinnok imprisoned in them amongst stone depictions of hellish scenery.

“Raiden and the Elder Gods stopped Shinnok. Locked him up in the Netherrealm.”

The shot fades into another, a slow pan over a stone warhammer that reveals Outworld's most notorious emperor.

“Others followed in Shinnok's footsteps, like Outworld's emperor Shao Kahn, who was obsessed with conquering Earthrealm.”

Cut to a shot of a Raiden statue, poised to fight, with the Mortal Kombat's iconic dragon logo behind him. On opposite sides of the logo stand statues of Goro and Shang Tsung.

“So Raiden convinced the Elder Gods to inact the Mortal Kombat tournament as a way to even the odds... give Earthrealm a chance.”

The camera pans past Raiden to center on the logo itself, then it fades into a shot of Kano dueling Sonya, before circling around a depiction of Johnny facing three Tarkatans at once.

“For generations, Shao Kahn followed the Elder Gods' rules. The war moved to the arena, where he sent his toughest fighters to challenge Raiden's greatest defenders in Mortal Kombat.”

The camera pans over to Liu Kang punching a hole in Shao Kahn's chest, with background noise of the fight sounding out over Johnny's narration.  
“Two years ago, we beat him.”

In the background noise, Liu Kang's final blow of the bout is heard, as is Shao Kahn's death scream.

“But Shao Kahn wasn't ready to lose.”

Cut to another shot of statues, this one showing Tarkatans attacking Earthrealm's military forces. The screams and sounds of slaughter are once again heard in the background.

“He violated the rules of Mortal Kombat and invaded Earthrealm.”

Fade into a deception of some of the fallen bodies of the Forces of Light - Liu Kang, Kitana, Kung Lao and Jax laying broken on the ground. 

“Most of Earth's defenders - our friends - were killed. Turned into evil undead warriors.”

Fade into the statue of Shao Kahn, now ensnared and being bitten by dragon serpents - the Elder Gods in corporeal form. His mighty Warhammer falls to his side and out of frame. The statue begins to crumble into pieces.

“Despite the odds, we stopped Shao Kahn's invasion. As punishment, the Elder Gods destroyed him.”

As the camera pans up to his face, we hear one last cry of defeat from Kahn as his statue completely falls apart. The camera cuts to and circles around another statue, this one holding a familiar-looking amulet with an emerald at its center.

“We thought the long nightmare was over. But it turns out that Shinnok had been manipulating events.”

The camera finishes panning up to Shinnok's face and shows a statue of Quan Chi over his shoulder.

“Shao Kahn's invasion, his death... all part of Shinnok's plan to escape the Netherrealm and resume his war on the Elder Gods.”

The camera slowly zooms into Shinnok's face, and the statue's eyes begin to glow with unholy fire, turning from red to yellow and finally white. As they do so, the screen fades to white as well. It fades into an Earthrealm city in Japan devastated by war. A dead soldier falls on his front, an ugly gaping hole where his face should be. Others run past his body, and suddenly a large flying beast that resembles a gargoyle grabs one of these soldiers, lifts him into the air, and drops him. Another soldier is tackled into the concrete by a demon moving almost too fast to see. Several other soldiers meet the same fate. One soldier pauses long enough to open fire at the flying beasts with his assault rifle. He gains nothing for his efforts except the ire of one beast who lands on a nearby overturned car. As he turns to it, the hell beast lets out an unholy roar of terror and grabs the now-screaming soldier by his head, tearing it off his body. As the beast drops his head from its toes and roams the evening sky, it is shot by high-powered bullets from a helicopter's gatling gun. The monster squeals and falls dead to the ground below as several helicopters fly towards the screen. Inside the helicopter, Sonya Blade is co-piloting. Johnny Cage walks up to her seat and leans on both it and the seat of the pilot's, staring into the world beyond the windscreen. The pilot speaks

“Destination dead ahead.”

Johnny quips for some humor

“Set 'er down nice and easy for me.”  
“Don't I always?”  
“If by "always" you mean "not once".”

They both share a chuckle at this comment. Cage looks over to Sonya. He is worried she didn’t try to shut him up or jump in he asks

“Major?”

Sonya looks to him, then rises from her seat. She strides to the back of the helicopter where six other soldiers are taking their seats. Also, among them is the blind swordsman known only as Kenshi, who remains standing. Johnny looks on in admiration as Sonya walks up to her men. She turns around and flashes him a smile, and he walks up to join them. She has a command of authority in her voice

“Alright, you have the rendezvous coordinates. The far edge of the forest. From there, we access the portal to Raiden's Sky temple.”

Johnny adds wheatear as comedy or being helpful

“Where there's an angry former Elder God and his devils waiting for us.”

One soldier seated among them doesn't appear to quite believe what he's hearing or what's happening around him. He says shaking his head

“Gods, portals, flying demons...”

Johnny adds if not for a sense of comedy while eyeing Kenshi

“Blind guys with magic swords...”

Kenshi turns in his direction at this. Which scares the ever-living shit out of a few people and remarks

“The world has changed. For the worse, if we do not expel Shinnok from Raiden's temple. He means to poison Earthrealm's life force – the Jinsei.”

Sonya says in a commanding tone

“And we're not gonna let that happen.”

Johnny smiles adding

“Kenshi and I appreciate the Major allowing us to join you. We're happy to help kick Shinnok's bony ass back to the Netherrealm.”


	3. The world gone to hell pt.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More early Mortal Kombat X world building

Sonya Blade strides to the back of the helicopter where six other soldiers are taking their seats. Also, among them is the blind swordsman known only as Kenshi, who remains standing. Johnny looks on in admiration as Sonya walks up to her men. She turns around and flashes him a smile, and he walks up to join them. She has a command of authority in her voice

“Alright, you have the rendezvous coordinates. The far edge of the forest. From there, we access the portal to Raiden's Sky temple.”

Johnny adds wheatear as comedy or being helpful

“Where there's an angry former Elder God and his devils waiting for us.”

One soldier seated among them doesn't appear to quite believe what he's hearing or what's happening around him. He says shaking his head

“Gods, portals, flying demons...”

Johnny adds if not for a sense of comedy while eyeing Kenshi

“Blind guys with magic swords...”

Kenshi turns in his direction at this. Which scares the ever-living shit out of a few people and remarks

“The world has changed. For the worse, if we do not expel Shinnok from Raiden's temple. He means to poison Earthrealm's life force – the Jinsei.”

Sonya says in a commanding tone

“And we're not gonna let that happen.”

Johnny smiles adding

“Kenshi and I appreciate the Major allowing us to join you. We're happy to help kick Shinnok's bony ass back to the Netherrealm.”

The muffled sound of explosions outside of the helicopter gets everyone's attention. Johnny, Sonya and Kenshi race back to the front of the chopper in time to witness one of the helicopters in front of theirs catch fire. Sonya quickly takes the co-pilot seat again. As a fireball races to the left of their chopper, the helicopter on fire crashes into the ground, destroying it. Another fireball explodes on the side of another chopper in front of them Johnny shouts at the pilot

“You gotta land this thing!”

As the second chopper on fire crashes and explodes, the windshield suddenly shatters as a kunai attached to a chain bursts through and impales itself in the face of the pilot which Johnny reacts

“Shit!”

The pilot barely has time to let out a cry of agony before he is dragged back through the windshield, breaking it apart on his side. In the co-pilot's seat, Sonya desperately tries to keep the helicopter from crashing. As Cage looks on in concern, a sound at the back of the chopper grabs his and Kenshi's attention. As they turn around, the soldiers also lookup to find someone else standing right in front of them, as if he'd just teleported there. That person is the ninja specter known as Scorpion. Before the soldiers can react, Scorpion kicks two of them in the chest, then knocks out the one in front of him with a straight right hand. He elbows the one behind him for another one-hit knockout, then draws his sword in the same motion and decapitates the next two soldiers in front of him. The hellspawn buries his sword in the face of the fifth soldier, then draws his second sword and backhands it through the belly of the sixth soldier. He slips the two swords back into their sheaths as the final two soldiers fall dead, all in the space of about six seconds. As Johnny and Kenshi start forward, Scorpion throws a fireball that catches Kenshi dead center and hurls him back against Sonya's seat, knocking him out of the fight for the time being. Scorpion hurls his chained kunai straight at Johnny with his signature call

“GET OVER HERE!”

Johnny catches the kunai and brings it level to his face, eyeing it up and saying

“Damn, I'm good!”

Johnny launches into a Shadow Kick, catching Scorpion in the chest and almost sending him out of the back of the helicopter. He gives the chain a good tug, dragging Scorpion back towards him, where Cage grabs him and slams him against both sides of the chopper. Scorpion recovers quickly and throws a right hand at Johnny. He blocks it, parries two more of Scorpion's strikes, dodges a sidekick, and smashes into the back of the ninja's head with a superman punch. Scorpion pulls out an unchained kunai and charges in at Cage, who just barely manages to block the wraith's forearms and avoid being stabbed. Cage desperately struggles, but he is forced to the floor by the undead power of Scorpion. Moments from death, Johnny finds the strength to shove Scorpion's arms away, then he kicks the ninja away from him. As Scorpion staggers back, Kenshi lunges at him and tackles him out of the open side door of the chopper. Scorpion manages to latch on to the side handle, with Kenshi desperately hanging on to his leg. As Johnny lies on the floor of the chopper, he notices another person has just entered. As he rolls to his knees, he gets a good look at who it is; it is Sub-Zero. Or more specifically; the undead Kuai Liang, no longer a cybernetic husk, but a revenant under the control of Quan Chi. The two soldiers knocked out by Scorpion earlier awaken in time to see Sub-Zero before them. They both try to punch him, but he blocks their attacks, freezes their heads, and then smashes them together, shattering them into blood, ice, and bone. Sub-Zero throws the headless corpse of one of them at Johnny, who manages to avoid it by dropping into his split-legged stance. Another soldier's decapitated head, one who had it chopped off by Scorpion earlier the one who was disbelieving, rolls in front of Cage, who quickly knocks it out of the helicopter adding an

“Eugh, nasty!”

Sub-Zero creates his signature ice blade and charges at the movie star. Johnny manages to catch the blade in his hands and shatter it. He hits Sub-Zero with his backflip-kick, knocking the revenant against the ceiling. As he lands, Sub-Zero blocks a follow up a kick and throws a punch and a low sweep, both of which Cage avoids. As Sub-Zero blocks more kicks and punches from Cage, the scene cuts to Scorpion and Kenshi, still hanging on the chopper's side. Scorpion finally kicks Kenshi off him, but the swordsman manages to stab his weapon into the side of the helicopter. It glows as it cuts through the chopper's side but finally sticks before Kenshi is hurled to his death.


	4. The world gone to hell pt.3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More world building

Back in the chopper, Johnny blocks several punches from Sub-Zero before catching him with a right cross. As he staggers away, Johnny suddenly senses someone behind him. Sure enough, Scorpion is standing right there. He promptly elbows the ninja in the face, ducks another strike from Sub-Zero by doing the splits, and this time follows through by punching the revenant right between his legs and shouts in the heat of it all

“Bring it!”

As Sub-Zero recoils in pain, Johnny grabs his and Scorpion's heads and bashes them together. The former Lin Kuei stumbles back and is bathed in a telekinetic glow. He is then violently hurled backward through the chopper's back door, courtesy of Kenshi. Noticing Kenshi is also holding Scorpion still with his telekinesis, Johnny grabs the specter and punches him out of the side door. Scorpion grabs onto the ladder with his kunai and starts climbing back into the helicopter. Johnny, having had enough at this point, readies himself as the ninja climbs back in and growls in frustration

“No!”

Cage lunges at Scorpion and tackles him out of the helicopter, falling out himself in the process. They free-fall for a few moments, with Cage intending to smash Scorpion into the pavement. At the last second, the ninja specter teleports away in a flash of hellfire, leaving Johnny to crash hard into the pavement. Despite Sonya's best efforts, the helicopter crashes into the ground a few moments later, carving out a large portion of the road. Sonya smacks her head and loses consciousness, but the chopper has not suffered enough damage to explode just yet. Johnny picks himself up off the sidewalk, granted with a bit of pain and shortness of breath. Miraculously, he hasn't broken any bones in the fall, probably because he followed the tackle with a leap of faith like he was some assassin. 

“May the father of understanding guide me.”

Johnny says as he struggles to his feet and starts towards the chopper but is stopped by Scorpion teleporting into his path. He jumps back into a fighting stance, as Scorpion remarks ironically coldly for his hellfire 

“The end is near.”

Johnny remarks darkly to the specter who stares blankly as his eyes are white and reflect the death that has overtaken him and forced him to serve and not have his long due rest

“Getting a little ahead of yourself, aren't ya?”

They fight, with great skill and passion. Even after the vicious melee in the helicopter, Johnny Cage demonstrates he isn't one of the major defenders of the Earthrealm by being a mere movie star. He takes the fight to the ninja specter and leaves him unconscious on the ground. Johnny then prioritizes 

“Gotta get back to the chopper.”

As Sonya starts to wake up, Johnny rushes over to the downed vehicle and shouts to Sonya who is still within the cockpit

“Sonya! Get outta there—"

He is suddenly struck in the back by a beam of ice and frozen. The beam doesn't completely freeze him, but he visibly struggles to move as the undead Sub-Zero walks up to him, again preparing his ice blade. Johnny spots a crowbar on the ground nearby and the freeze effect wears off just in time for him to avoid a finishing swipe from the former Lin Kuei. Johnny dodges another swipe and grabs the crowbar, using it to parry two more strikes before sweeping Sub-Zero's legs out from under him with the crowbar. He drops it and backs up to his feet, with Sub-Zero rising shortly after, with the actor quipping despite his rising anger

“Whoo! THAT was unpleasantly cold!”

They fight, a surprising fight considering. While many would struggle to fight a foe so powerful as Sub-Zero, Johnny proves more than ready to take him down. After a fierce battle, Cage leaves the revenant down for the count, and remarks almost fondly to the downed cryromancer

“I liked it better when we fought on the same side.”

Johnny finally makes it to the helicopter, where Kenshi is helping Sonya down from it. Johnny assists her, his voice softens as he with worry asks her

“You okay?”

Sonya nods her consent, unable to speak slightly dazed by the crash yet, her mind elsewhere and not here yet grateful to have lived. Kenshi notes somberly, the realist here in the group, also noting his own upbringing of being an assassin compared to Johnny’s templar upbringing

“We fared better than the men.”

Johnny growled as he looked around. He couldn’t believe it. The world really had gone to hell hadn’t, the very thing that both the Templars and assassins could agree they wanted to avoid. He shook his head and said in a very dark tone

“Add 'em to the list of things Shinnok'll answer for.”

After a moment of silence, the three of them race off together. Sonya cursing in her mind wishing Rena was still here, hell right about now Shao Kahn would have been a welcomed sight. She missed her old friend and hated that Quan Chi had murdered her and her infant daughter. Though the fate of her infant son was unknown now. Sonya shook her head now was not the time. She, Johnny, and Kneshi were needed now. She had to be strong. She could have sworn she heard a voice in her head speak

“My Old friend please you need to stay strong. Make the world safer for my son. He yet still lives.”

Sonya teared up but nodded. While she could not see, Kenshi saw the spirit of the Outworld Kahnuim and Kahn giving Sonya strength. The spirit of Shao Kahn turned and addressed Kenshi directly, a calmness to his voice

:: Keep an eye on her. She is a good friend of my wife.::  
:: I will your eminence.::

The blind telepath replied to the Kahn as the two spirits disappeared though left him a hint as to where their infant son was hidden. Kenshi mentally filed it away as they soon came on the majestic Sky Temple and the devastation surrounding it.


	5. The world gone to hell pt.4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> just two more world building Chapters to go.

The scene cuts to the courtyard of the Sky Temple. As a thunderstorm pours down, a massive army of Netherrealm demons - different to the flying beasts seen earlier - are completely massacring the monks who live there. Only two fighters remain standing - the gods known as Raiden and Fujin, who launch into battle stances. The demon army charges at them. Raiden zaps several with his electricity blast, while Fujin traps several more in a cyclone and hurls them over the edge of a bottomless cliff. While he admires his handiwork, a demon charges and grapples him, biting into his face. Fujin fights back by punching and elbowing the demon in the face, before throwing him off the edge as well. Another demon lands behind him and gets a roundhouse kick in the face for its troubles. Fujin then looks to the heavens as he realizes that several more Netherrealm demons - like the flying ones seen earlier - are descending on them. More demons land behind him, but Fujin is saved from one by Raiden impaling it through the head with his polearm. He and Fujin go back to back, fighting off the demons with their bladed staves. One demon manages to bite into Raiden's arm and eats an electric fist soon after. Raiden impales it on the edge of his weapon and is tackled across the courtyard by a flying demon. The creature stands upright and roars in victory... before being bisected from behind by Fujin and his poleaxe. Fujin helps Raiden back to his feet and says

“Raiden! We must re-fortify the portal's defenses below!”

Raiden shakes his head and said

“No, Fujin. It is too late.”

The Netherrealm army is far from finished. Innumerable demons slowly walk towards the gods of thunder and wind. One gets closer and roars to the skies - and a green flaming skull bursts through its chest. Fujin and Raiden avoid the projectile as the creature falls dead, showing the one who killed it. The army has now stopped its advance and given a respectable distance to the sorcerer who commands them. He proudly walks towards the two gods, revealing his distinctive pale facial features, saying

“The mighty gods of Earthrealm.”  
“You befoul these hallowed grounds, Quan Chi! Begone!”  
“Surely you are pleased to see your friends...”

Quan Chi looks to his left. Before him stand the undead forms of Kurtis Stryker, Sindel, and Kabal.

“You abandoned them to their deaths. I returned them to life.”  
“A life worse than death!”  
“One you will soon share, and my lord himself shall witness your fall.”

The three revenants charge at the gods. The scene cuts to a campfire on the edge of a forest. A few demons are stockpiling the corpses of the fallen monks here. Johnny, Sonya, Kenshi, and two squads of Special Forces soldiers sneak up to the site, crouching behind cover. Johnny looks out to the scene, and his eyes widen in shock. He not only sees the undead Smoke in his ninja garb but another revenant, this one with his cybernetic arms looking as corrupted as the rest of his features.

“So he's done his job?”  
“I expect him soon.”

Johnny whispers in shock

“Jax...”

Sonya also looks crestfallen at seeing her former commanding officer, but she looks over to Kenshi, who nods at her unspoken order. As they rise from cover, a portal opens behind them. More Netherrealm demons appear and leading them is an undead native-American carrying two corrupted red tomahawks. Kenshi shouts

“Nightwolf!”

The former Earthrealm defender raises a tomahawk to the sky. As red lightning shoots into it, he roars in attack and charges the Special Forces with his demons in tow. Kenshi leads a squad into battle as Johnny's squad provides covering fire. The fighting is quickly noticed by the other two revenants, with Jax saying

“There!”

He runs into the battle. Sonya turns and charges toward him as well, engaging in close kombat. In the melee, Nightwolf and Kenshi parry each other's blades as Smoke teleports directly into the middle of the Special Forces. He kicks a soldier in the chest, sending him sprawling. He wrenches the rifle out of another soldier's hands, then punches and elbows him in the stomach, taking him down. He kicks the rifle out of another soldier's hands and punches him down. Johnny springs into action with a flying kick. Smoke blocks this and several more roundhouse kicks from Cage, before connecting with a back kick that knocks the movie star to the ground.

“Smoke...”  
“Smoke is dead. I am Enenra.”

Elsewhere in the melee, Sonya ducks some swings from Jax's cybernetic arms but gets kicked in the leg, dropping her to her knees. Jax then kicks her full in the face, knocking her over. Johnny gets the upper hand over Smoke by punching him twice in the face and laying him out with a crescent kick. The movie star looks over to see Jax advancing on Sonya saying

“This is your last mission, Sonya.”

Johnny intervenes just in time by tackling Jax to the ground. They both roll to their feet in fighting stances with Johnny saying

“The real Jax wouldn't punch his best friend!”

Jax replies

“Johnny Cage. Killing you will be a pleasure.”

They fight. Despite fighting a warrior augmented by both sorcery and cybernetics, Johnny Cage manages to dig deep and take the fight to the former Jackson Briggs. After a tough battle, Johnny eventually leaves Jax unconscious on the ground he says

“We're gonna fix you someday...”

With Jax down, Johnny picks up an assault rifle and catches up with Sonya and the rest of the Special Forces, who are falling back into a cave. Johnny says trying to ease the tension

“Well, nice seeing them again.”

Sonya begins to say something, but only lets out an unhappy sigh. Johnny puts a hand on her shoulder to support her

“Sonya... that's not him.”

After a moment, Sonya nods and regains her composure. The two of them run into the cave.


	6. The world gone to hell pt.5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Almost done with the world building

While Sonya stops to confer with one of her men, trying to regroup, trying to do what Rena would have done, Johnny races up to Kenshi, who is following his glowing sword Sento across a wall, looking for something as Johnny asks curiously though figuring out what the blind swordsman is looking for 

“That the elevator?”

Kenshi deadpans but confirms as it is the best explanation for the actor as it is more than just that

“Yes. The elevator.” 

He continues walking with the sword in front of him, a wonderous feat that even has Johnny in awe. Johnny’s confusion is evident to Kenshi and he explains

“Sento contains the souls of my ancestors. They guide me.”

Johnny looks back to the cave entrance as a rumbling sound is heard from outside and asks with some impatience, not aware of grumbling and a possible ‘don’t you get snappy with us boy’

“Could they hurry the hell up?”

He runs back to the mouth of the cave. Some soldiers near the entrance are shooting at an unseen force of what can only be Netherrealm reinforcements, and Johnny and Sonya get antsy and worried. Kenshi eventually stops at part of the wall and chants something in Japanese. The wall lights up with kanji lettering in response. As Johnny turns around, he sees the hidden portal open before him, he says thrilled hope somewhat restored for the actor who still sometimes cannot quite comprehend all of this

“Goin' up!”

Sonya gives the order to her men, needing as much help and firepower they can muster

“Fall back. Now!”

As the soldiers with them race to the portal, Sonya stops for a moment with Johnny, before he says to her, as he can then do something 

“Go on.”

She runs into the portal. Cage addresses two soldiers who run up to him at the cave mouth a quick salute and Johnny asks of them probably the last thing they will ever do in their lives

“You guys stay here. Close the door.”

One soldier takes out a block of explosives from his satchel and passes it to his comrade. As they rush back to the entrance, Johnny runs into the portal, teleporting into the unknown, as it is their first time into this part of the world. The scene cuts to an underground cavern beneath the Sky Temple, fighting can be heard here. Raiden and Fujin are shooting electrical and wind blasts at the revenants pursing them but are gradually being forced backwards by them, being overcome. Quan Chi strides just behind his undead puppets, letting off an evil laugh as he does so, oh it was so good to be bad. Though Raiden and Fujin successfully down the revenants, two cloudy shadows shaped like large hands begin to glide toward them, coming in quick succession of the revenants. As the shadows encircle them both, Raiden realizes what they are and jumps back with Fujin in the nick of time, as the shadows form into skeletal hands that clasp the air where they were standing just before, missing them but that was no matter. The gigantic hands unfold to present the fallen Elder God known as Shinnok, the god of death, and decay. He smirks and taunts the thunder god

“You see it now, Raiden... Your legacy. You poison their hearts with hope.”

Raiden bites back at Shinnok, refusing to be swayed by the poisonous words of the death god

“And what do you offer? The same as you did millennia ago when you betrayed your fellow Elder Gods and attacked Earthrealm! We stopped you then, imprisoned you in the Netherrealm! We will do so again!”

Shinnok tsks before continuing in a silky voice, his voice could sway others to his cause, it was his gift, after all, a gift he used to his advantage. 

“Remove the shadow from the light, the shadow grows. The legacy of life is death, Raiden. My followers accept this and live on. They fight for me.”

As the shadow clouds come around Shinnok, the revenants and Quan Chi charge into battle. Kabal buries his hook swords into Raiden's shoulders and places a foot in his chest, trying to tear his arms clean off his body. Raiden grabs the weapons and charges them with lightning, electrocuting Kabal. He follows through with a crescent kick, causing Kabal to backflip from the force and crash hard on his front. Quan Chi charges in, and Raiden avoids his kicks and punches, managing to strike him in the kidney, then the face, before kicking him in the stomach and punching him away. The sorcerer rallies and summons a snake-like skeleton with a human skull, which he shoots toward Raiden. The skull latches onto Raiden's face with its teeth, then wraps its body around him. With the thunder god incapacitated, Quan Chi uppercuts him on the chin, sending Raiden to the floor. Fujin knocks the former oni aside with a jump kick, then narrowly ducks a baton swipe from Stryker. He blocks another swipe, then lands a combination of punches that downs the revenant. Before he can close in, Sindel grabs him and unleashes a banshee scream point-blank into his ear. The vibrations threaten to liquify Fujin's head, but in the nick of time, Raiden grabs Sindel and electrocutes her head, rendering her unconscious. As Raiden nods to Fujin, they both ready themselves for Shinnok's onslaught. The fallen Elder God now holds his amulet, which he uses to nonchalantly blast Raiden and Fujin, sending them crashing through the wall behind them. Raiden’s mind flashes to two years ago when they defeated Shao Kahn. Raiden realizes the Revenants are not Shinnok’s only victims. Shao Kahn, his wife, and his twin children. Raiden knew that the infant prince had lived, he also knew that the infant prince was in the care of the Black Dragons. As much as Raiden did not like it the boy was safe among those thieves and murders as they protected and cared for their own.


	7. The world gone to hell pt.6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last world building chapter.

As the stone entrance crumbles at their impact, Raiden and Fujin are both on the floor at Shinnok's mercy. Before them, all is the Jinsei - a mysterious glowing blue energy that is Earthrealm's life force Fujin coughs and says

“You'll not touch the Jinsei!”

Shinnok like a child who will not listen says

“Oh, I will, and all of Earthrealm will learn the truth... of death!”

He sends out another blast from his amulet. This one drags both the Earthrealm gods towards Shinnok. They are rendered helpless as the amulet seems poised to imprison them in it for eternity, fitting as it once held him. But just before Raiden's hand touches the amulet, Shinnok is kicked in the back by Johnny Cage, sending the amulet from his grasp and breaking the spell, distraction breaks the calling every time. The amulet clatters to the ground a good distance away from Shinnok, who faceplants on the chamber floor, in a most undignified manner. Johnny strides cockily into the chamber, Sonya, and Kenshi by his side he says feigning apologies 

“Oh, sorry ma'am! Didn't see ya there!”

Shinnok brings himself up to his knees and barks

“Miserable wretch! Insignificant speck of feculent scum! How DARE you!”

He lets loose a magical blast that knocks Kenshi to the floor unconscious. Raiden spots the amulet as he and Fujin get to their feet, and he then locks eyes with Shinnok.

“That is mine!”

Raiden loses a lightning bolt, but Shinnok catches it in a magic blast and shoots out a corrupted red form of the bolt that strikes Fujin and knocks him out. Sonya fires off an entire clip of ammunition from her assault rifle at Shinnok, who effortlessly creates a shield that deflects the bullets. She throws the gun aside.

“Ready?”  
“As always.”

They both charge Shinnok and engage in hand to hand kombat. Shinnok easily blocks and dodges their attacks, kicking them both in the stomach with the same leg in a motion impossible for a human. With them doubled over, he jumps up in a split kick that catches them both in the face. Sonya is knocked out of the fight, but Cage recovers quickly and charges in with more punches, all effortlessly blocked by Shinnok with one hand while he isn't even facing Johnny. Shinnok goes on the attack and strikes Johnny with a roundhouse kick, but Cage weathers it and lashes out with a kick to the side that staggers Shinnok. As he recovers, Shinnok levitates Johnny into the air with his magic and hurls him across the chamber. Johnny hits hard against the wall and is knocked out of the fight too. Sonya and Raiden both charge for the amulet, but Shinnok holds his hand out, charged with red energy. The amulet blasts the two of them as they come close, knocking them away. Shinnok then blasts Sonya with a red lightning bolt, leaving her writhing on the chamber floor. Johnny rises in time to witness this.

“She will be the first to join me.”

As he readies for a finishing blast with both hands, Johnny charges in, glowing green with his latent superpowers as he does so.

“No!”

In slow motion, Shinnok blasts out his magic as Sonya raises one hand in desperation. Johnny dives in front of the blast, fully absorbing it. He then, to the amazement of both Sonya and Shinnok, rolls to his knees and rises without impediment, still glowing with green energy.

“I'm not sure what just happened to me...”

The green glow fades as Johnny circles Shinnok, ready to fight.

“...but I am sure of this: You don't even THINK of hurting her!”

They fight. Johnny gives the fight of his life against the fallen Elder God. Try as he may, Shinnok is unable to overcome him, and after a vicious brawl, he is left on the ground by the movie star.

“You really are a fallen Elder God.”

Shinnok slowly rises to his feet, clearly weakened by Cage's assault. Nonetheless, he gets into a kombat stance as Johnny glows green once more, ready for battle. Raiden gets to one knee as this unfolds.

“Johnny Cage! The amulet!”

The amulet is by Johnny's feet. With Shinnok briefly unable to conjure up more magic, Johnny steps on it and flicks it backward, right into Raiden's hand.

“No!”

Johnny dodges aside as Raiden activates the amulet. The blast from it hits Shinnok just as he manages to fire off some magic from his hands. Despite his struggling, there is nothing Shinnok can do as he is slowly but surely dragged towards his amulet.

“NO!”

With one final cry of anguish, Shinnok is sucked into his amulet. As Raiden pants in exhaustion, Johnny lowers his stance and allows himself a moment of triumph.

“Enjoy the new digs, Gramps.”

Hearing Sonya stir, Johnny rushes to her side.

“Sonya?”  
“Johnny... did we...?”  
“Yeah. We got 'im.”

Sonya manages one last look of relief before falling unconscious in Johnny's arms. Raiden walks up to them, holding the amulet.

“Remain here. The chamber's properties will heal Sonya Blade in short order.”

Kenshi and Fujin run-up to Raiden. Kenshi sighs

"Quan Chi and the others; they're gone. A surge of power within the chamber overwhelmed my senses.”

Fujin says calmly

“We can deal with Quan Chi later, Kenshi.”

Raiden nods saying

“We've netted a bigger prize this day.”  
“Shinnok's Amulet...”

He holds his hand toward it, telekinetically feeling its properties. His face shocked

“...and within it...”  
“Ol' Fishface himself.”

Fujin nods before saying

“Let us take the amulet to the Elder Gods.”  
“They cannot destroy it. No one can.”  
“They might offer counsel. Shinnok can never escape.”

Raiden wordlessly offers his consent and the two gods leave the chamber. Kenshi is left with Johnny, who is still holding Sonya. He is smiling and at peace, unlike Kenshi, who is still clearly concerned with the events that just occurred.

“The war is not over. Quan Chi has escaped. Why are you smiling?”  
“She called me "Johnny".”


	8. Twenty Years Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally to the Kombat Kiddos and the Main character Alex.

"Twenty Years Later" The scene fades into Johnny Cage, now with greyed hair. Johnny is talking in what appears to be a high-tech communications room with Five younger fighters; his daughter Cassie Cage, who looks a lot like her mother, Jax's daughter Jacqui, who can be as much of a firecracker like her father, a Shaolin by the name of Kung Jin, who is Kung Lao’s nephew and already proving to be just as arrogant, Kano’s nephew Alex Darkov, whom Sonya identified already as Outworld’s lost prince and Takahashi Takeda from the Shirai Ryu, Kenshi’s son, and Scorpion’s student.

“Raiden told me later that I'm descended from some Mediterranean war cult.”

He pauses to snort in derision and then continued

"Bred as warriors for the gods." I've never been able to re-summon that green halo. Raiden thinks it was triggered when I saw a loved one about to die.”

Kung Jin seems to view the tale with some skepticism. He looks over to Cassie, who has her back to him and is concentrating on the computer before her he remarked 

“How 'bout you, Cassie? Can you summon anything like that? Or did it skip a generation?”

Takeda not wanting a fight to break out, knowing that Alex and Cassie were engaged to be married by now, Alex had already proven himself quite protective of Cassie, said

“Take it easy, Jin.”

Cassie retorted

“We didn't need a halo in Darfur - or Iran, or Kurdistan. Did we, Jacqui?”

Jacqui replies to her childhood friend

“Nope, we didn't. Shaolin monks ever send you there, Jin?”

Kung Jin scoffs before saying

“I've seen plenty of action; Takeda and I both. Stuff that'd blow your Special Forces minds—"  
“Fu—"

Before Jin can continue, and before Cassie can interject with an expletive-laden reply, Johnny stands back up to defuse the situation, addressing everyone as he does so, even quiet Alexander who has himself slightly turned away, sharpening his knife that his uncle gave him

“At ease. You're all here because you deserve to be. You're beautiful and unique snowflakes. Even you Alex.” 

Everyone sits in silent disbelief at what they just heard, Alex turned back a shocked expression on his face, making his crimson eyes less intimating. With the tension gone, Johnny continues.

“Now, as I'm sure you're unaware - judging from the lack of gift cards - today is our team's six week anniversary. Secretary Blake says he's pleased with our progress.”

Kung Jin snarks

“You could spit in his hair and he'd be "pleased with our progress".”

Jacqui sighs

“He was smart enough to have Mister Cage put this team together.”

Takeda speaks his mind

“I'm glad the Shirai Ryu chose me to join. New places...”

He looks over to Jacqui, admiring her 

“...new faces.”

Jacqui closes her eyes briefly and tries not to stare at Takeda, who sits where he is still smiling at her. Alex looks about and stays quiet though Cassie smiles at her fiancé before saying

“Still surprised Kano allowed you to be here Alex.”  
“Well, your father wanted me to be here. And honestly, I do worry about you. Better I be here so I can help watch your back. Also, Kano ordered me to join.”

Cassie blushed at his words. He only ever wanted to see her safe and unharmed. Johnny coughs to get their attention back on him, not out of narcissism, but as their handler and leader 

“As the secretary pointed out, us older folks are going to retire someday, so it's time for your generation to step up. Shaolin, Shirai Ryu, S-F, and regrettably Black Dragon Together. For your team's first mission, you're going to the Lin Kuei Temple.”

Kung Jin and Takeda share a meaningful look. Alex perks up he always had great respect for both the Lin Kuei and Shirai-Ryu clans. So, to be visiting one of the clans was not something he was going to miss. Johnny continued

“We haven't heard from the Grandmaster in a while, so we need to make sure he's still on our side; that he's got our backs if things flare up again with Outworld. You need to bring him in, but don't be surprised if Sub-Zero's not willing to cooperate.”

Everyone was confused and worried now. Takeda was the most confused considering that Sub-Zero and his grandmaster had a truce, much to his surprise but he respected even favored it. Alex was suspicious oh not of Sub-Zero, but of his future father in law. What was the man up to? Was this a test? Kung Jin had many thoughts flying through his head and Jacqui did too only Cassie had the balls to ask

“Why be worried about Outworld? I thought Kotal Kahn respected the Reiko Accords?”

Johnny sighed nodding but still answering

“He does, but he's facing a civil war. The rebels win, those accords will be history. Also, he’s nervous, there are rumors that the last Kahn’s infant son survived Quan Chi’s slaughtering of his mother and twin sister.”

Kung Jin looks at Johnny Cage and asks 

“Do the rumors state whether or not this “Heir” supports the rebels or not?”  
“No, the rumors do not state that as the rumors point to the infant being raised here in Earthrealm. That is the other reason we need Sub-Zero. Should paranoid Kotal Kahn try to invade we are not so overwhelmed like when Shao Kahn and later Shinnok tried.” 

Alex’s brow furrowed in thought and Takeda asked what was so clearly on everyone’s mind

“Why would Kotal Kahn try to invade Earthrealm over Shao Kahn’s heir?”

Johnny sighed and said 

“Ever hear of Divine right of Kings Takeda?”  
“Yeah, it’s how the Pharaohs of Egypt justified their rule to their people. Wait you don’t think Shao Kahn’s heir would do that? Do you?” 

Johnny only nodded very unaware that they were speaking in front of the very heir they were referring to, a truth that even Alex does not know.


	9. Flashback- Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We have the first of several Flashback secens. This one is Infant Ale arrving at the Black Dragon's head quaters with Kano.

Flashback: Twenty-two years ago, Black Dragon Headquarters  
Kano ducked back into headquarters from the black dragon portal from Outworld. Cuddled close and sleeping was the infant prince of Outworld. His mind raced, what was he going to do. He had promised his old friend Rena Athena Darkov he would raise and protect her son, but he did not have the first clue and he felt alone in the world for the first time in years. He breathed in then out holding the sleeping prince in his arms. It then donned on him, either Kira or Tasia could help him, out. Both women had recently been pregnant and would know what to do. He went to Tasia’s room first since it was a short walk. He knocked on her door, and he got an immediate response

“Boss it's, 3 A.M not even my kid is awake at this hour.”

Tasia said in a tired and irate tone. Kano bites back

“Yeah yeah but it’s important. I'll make sure the little one cries for days if ya don’t help.”  
"With what? and don't threaten me."

Tasia asks him, showing her assertive side to him. Kano replied

“Ah shucks. We both know I don’t need to threaten to get you to help me change a few diapers”

he tosses an empty crib as if it had a baby into her arms before holding the little one up before she could comment around the infant’s neck was a leather cord with two medallions on it. Tasia looked at the infant and had a million thoughts race through her head before she asked of him

"By the gods Kano, what did you do to get this child?"  
“I didn’t do shit! The Elder gods orphaned im. E’s Rena’s.”

Kano said stubbornly, and Tasia flinches knowing that story too well. 

"Then this is Outworld's prince."

She asks Kano, who nodded before saying

“He needs your help.”

Tasia nods in agreement to help her boss. She notices him looking at her as he then asks

“So, what do I do? Even I know to spank a baby in the butt to make it giggle but still”

Tasia paled at his response, not quite sure he was serious or not. She breathed in and out before saying

"Hmm feeding an infant is important. More important than when we as adults need to eat. Changing their diaper often to keep them clean and healthy. Bathing them."  
“Don’t just tell me woman show me”

Kano growled and She sees the infant wake up, so she checks his diaper, finding it dry she doesn't change it, so she warms a bottle, and once she checks it feeds him. Soon the infant is back asleep, and Kano says

“Thanks. Motherhood suits ya”  
"I can't tell if you're being sexist or sincere, and that is very troubling."  
“It’s me so.... probably both”

She snorts, as Kano coos at the infant, and the infant giggles at him to which Kano asks

“So, is it tryin ta eat me?”  
"No. You made him laugh without violence."

Tasia says softly and very fondly to Kano who seems a bit put off as if he’s tough-guy mask is cracking, he then quickly adds

“I see”

Tasia shows him some other nonviolent ways to entertain the child and keep his pride. Something Kano is very grateful about. He says

“Thanks, doll”  
"Your welcome boss."

Jarek woke with a gasp and dashed over. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes looking to both Tasia and Kano before saying 

“Wat, s it oss?” 

You could tell he didn’t get restful sleep lately. Kano gave a light laugh before saying

“bout time yah joined us Jarek.”  
“uck ya oo oss?”

Jarek said through a massive yawn. Tasia laughed before saying

“Dear, the boss needed some help with an infant he just recently took charge of.”

That woke the five-foot-nine chocolate haired coffee eyed Black Dragon up faster than a cup of Folgers. His five-foot-nine ebony-haired cobalt eyed wife giggled and listened to his response to this news

“How can I help boss?”  
“Easy. Just help so we can all get some sleep. Well take shifts watching this.... kiddie”

Jarek nods. Tasia smiled before walking to the fridge and opening the freezer and pulled out something in plastic and white Kano was confused, though he shouldn’t have been from before

“Boss, I have hyper lactation, meaning I produce way more milk than I need, and even when I am not pregnant. I already gave Kira some since she unfortunately as a teen got breast cancer and had the ducts removed. It is breast milk. Let it defrost while he sleeps then warm it up for him before he needs to eat. Make sure to test it beforehand. A squirt on your wrist will suffice just like I showed you earlier. If it’s painful for you it’s too hot for him.”  
“Isint that kinda uhhh.... cave folk?”

Kano asked 

"Mothers have been doing it for years." 

Tasia says to him while Jarek listens

“I just... fine since I asked you for help.”

Kano says a bit grossed out by the concept. Jarek asks Kano 

“Do you know his name?”  
“Uhh no”

Tasia noticed a leather cord with two medallions on it around the child's neck. it was over-sized. she looked at one of the medallions though both were worn. she saw the fresh engraving on a Greek looking one that read "Aléxandros válkiri Ntárkof" she then said 

"I think his name is Alexander Valkyrie Darkov, it is on this medallion in Greek."

She showed them the medallion in question. Kano nodded saying

“I see”

Tasia took the leather cord from the child to hang on to until he was older. Kano, pulling a Gru, said

“So, don’t these things cry and poop and sleep? Let’s make sure he stays sleeping.”  
"That will change as he gets older Kano."

Tasia remarked to him telling him not in so many words that it would not be easy.


	10. Mission Prep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I have to thank my editor for reading this over and making changes to make this flow much better. from this chapter on I will be having an editor on the chapter.

The scene cuts to a shot of the Lin Kuei temple, viewed through a high-tech computer monitor. Various statistics outline the screen. Cassie Cage speaks,

“Once we hit the drop-point, we split up.”

The scene moves back into the S-F control room, with everyone seen earlier Johnny, Cassie, Jacqui, Takeda, Alex, and Kung Jin still present, Cassie lays out the plan,

“Jacqui and I will come in from the south. You three from the west.”

Jacqui nodded and said,

“Rendezvous here. The north entrance.”

Kung Jin nodded and asked,

“Then what? A simple pick up and go?”

Cassie replies,

“We bag 'im if he resists.”

Takeda speaks a warning,

“Resistance might be more possible than you think.”  
“Don't sweat it. It comes to that, Sub-Zero won't know what hit him.”

Alex was quiet through most of it as he listened to the plan and agreed. He didn’t feel that Cassie was being realistic and felt the plan was not 100% foolproof but otherwise kept his tongue. He had learned to hold his tongue; not that he didn’t speak his mind, just more he found it better for her growth to let her fall on her face and be there to help her pick herself back up. Alex then says 

"As much as I don't like it, I agree with this. Honestly, I would prefer if we attempted to speak to him before going in guns blaz…. you aren't listening to me...as always."

The others had been gearing up. Alex being the Black Dragon, only being an official member for four years now, was always armed with weapons. Even at most casual, like on those early dates with Cassie, he was armed. His boots, like his uncle Kano, had built-in knives. He also kept two at his waist behind his back. On a mission like this, he preferred a special weapon that Karkas taught him how to use, Hook Swords. Once aboard the plane, Alex sat near Cassie Cage who cuddled close to him and he shifted himself to hold her. She looked up at him, her hand gently caressing his smooth, hairless face. His olive skin was soft to her touch. His crimson eyes met her baby blue eyes and they leaned into a kiss.

"Eww, guys come on!" 

Kung Jin moaned in disgust. Jacqui giggled at his discomfort and Takeda only gave a thumbs up to the engaged couple. Kung Jin groans at the display and asks 

"How does a goodie two shoes rich girl fall for the criminal?" 

Alex smiles and reminisces

-Flashback-  
Cassie was doing a deposit at the bank on a cloudy, but otherwise ordinary, warm Thursday in September on the 9th of 2010. She had begun working her first small job, at her mother’s behest, into a savings account. She notices something was off as there was someone behind her acting antsy, and sure enough, the place was raided by a group of armed robbers. But, it wasn’t something out of her dad’s action movies, they were methodical. As they rounded up the civilians to be hostages, Cassie notices a window of opportunity through one of the guard’s momentary distractions, and strikes, using this to take out several of the robbers. The few remaining robbers point their guns at the helpless civilians with their leader saying

“Go ahead Ms. Carlton see if we kill one of these innocent civilians. Hmm, how would Daddy react to your actions costing lives?”  
Cassie looked around. The robbers had their guns pointed at hostages, guns cocked, as their leader taunted her. Realizing her hopeless situation, she raised her hands upward. Motioned by their leader, one of the men handcuffed Cassie and sat her back with the rest of the hostages, next to one of the dead security guards.

“Now that should keep you from acting up. You two keep an eye on the fucking bitch, yeah? We can make tons more money holding that one hostage from that A-lister twat.”

The leader tauntingly laughed. One of the civilians simply stands up, towering over the guard keeping watch over the others, and double axe-handles the goon on the head onto the floor with a loud thud. Before the others can react, this guy, though big, is also deceptively agile, runs and boots the leader through the bank teller's window. The remaining two, who were keeping a close eye on Cassie, are legitimately awestruck at the others just being swatted aside so effortlessly, are both knocked unconscious by a jumping split kick from Cassie. This strange guy approaches Cassie and easily breaks the handcuffs on her wrists, with Cassie hastily freeing the rest of the civilians using the killed security guards' keys. The Bank teller had tripped the silent alarm and then approached the two

“Thank you. Thank you both. Bless you.”  
“You’re welcome,” Replied the tall stranger

Something in the tall guy’s baritone voice attracted Cassie. Beyond his seven-foot-tall height, or his muscular two-hundred-pound weight. Beyond his long silky black hair, black as coal, or those interestingly crimson eyes, or even by the fact this guy just kicked ass with his bare hands. He turned to her, a five-foot eight, 138 lbs blonde-haired blue-eyed girl. He gently rubbed her injured wrists and asked of her

“Are you alright?”  
“Yes, thank you.”

He smiled at her softly before saying

“My name is Alexander Valkyrie Darkov. May I inquire your name?”  
“Cassandra Carlton, but I prefer Cassie Cage.”  
“Alright Cassie, I prefer Alex myself.”  
Alex smiles as Cassie blushes like a schoolgirl. He then asks

“Care to go get lunch?” 

Cassie said, playing the hard to get,

"Sure, but you're paying"  
"Money is no issue"

Alex said, alluding to his Black Dragon affiliation. 

-End Flashback-

Takeda and Jacqui both had a look of awe and thought it was cute. Kung Jin groaned before saying

“You just like him because he is a bad boy. The oldest trope in the book. Can’t believe you’re going to marry this loser.”  
“Fuck you Jin. Alex is the kindest, sweetest guy you will meet. You just only know his serious side.”

Kung Jin rolled his eyes again. Something about Alex’s eyes, his height, his build, and his skin made Kung Jin very leery about trusting this Black Dragon. And it wasn’t just his Black Dragon status either. Growing up as a Shaolin with experiences beyond and outside of Earthrealm exposed Kung Jin to a myriad of peoples of many different backgrounds. Something about Alexander did not sit right with Kung Jin, but for now, they were allies and their Lin Kuei mission would be top priority. For now.


	11. The Lin Kuei Pt.1

The scene cuts to just outside of the Lin Kuei temple, panning down from the giant statue of the first Lin Kuei Grandmaster to the temple's entrance. Amid the light snow falling, Team S-F have all reached the rendezvous point and wait to the side of the entrance staircase. Cassie speaks

“All right, I've got point.” 

She then says to Takeda

“You, Alex, and Jin, that side.”

All three boys exchange a glance. Takeda's face is unreadable. Alex, used to authority, nods, but Kung Jin clearly doesn't agree with the command. Cassie then barks

“Move!”

They obey and slip over to the other side of the staircase. Cassie turns to Jacqui and asks

“Ready?”

Jacqui nods her consent, but just as Cassie turns to the entrance, the temple doors open. She hastily backs up as Grandmaster Kuai Liang, codenamed Sub-Zero, and four Lin Kuei students exit the temple, walking down to the grounds just before them. They stop before the statue of the First Grandmaster and kneel in meditation. Jin motions with his head to move in. Cassie mouths "Not yet" to him in response. After a moment, Jin chooses to ignore the command and stomps out of his hiding place. Alex cringes at Kung Jin’s move as he hears Cassie say

“Dammit, Jin!”

All four of them quickly follow as Jin points to Sub-Zero, saying rather rudely

“You. I need to s—"

Cassie lightly hits him on the back, grabbing his attention, Alex grits his teeth saying

“Idiot!”

Kuai Liang speaks to them without ever lifting his head from his meditation.

“You are not welcome here. State your intentions.”

Jin decides to let Cassie do the talking, and she steps forward, and attempts

“Grandmaster. We need you to come with us. My name is Sergeant—"

The Lin Kuei with Sub-Zero bark out a command in Chinese. Reinforcements flood in from seemingly nowhere, surrounding Team S-F and outnumbering them about 5 to 1. Kuai Liang stands up from his meditation. Alex looks about his suspicions from before being confirmed. He relaxes his stance, which Sub- Zero notes, before continuing

“You demand my cooperation. Yet you are cut off. Surrounded. What will you do?”  
“My father always spoke highly of you, Sub-Zero. He wants to talk.”  
“Talking. Always his first choice.”

Kung Jin rolled his eyes and having enough says

“Okay, let's try pummeling.” 

He then commands to Team S-F 

“Now!”  
“Wait!”

Cassie cries but It's far too late for waiting. Jin charges into a line of Lin Kuei as Sub-Zero rushes in and takes a swing at Cassie. As Takeda and Jacqui begin fighting as well, Cassie barely ducks out of the way in time and only just gets an arm up to block a left swing. Alex steps back, as he does not attack any of the surrounding students; for that, they do not engage him. However, familiar with Alex’s combat history and background, the Lin Kuei do know that Alex is one to observe the fight before joining in. Despite the chaos going on around them, the few Lin Kuei students keep watch on Alex, wary of any sudden actions coming from his way. Sub-Zero knees Cassie in the side and blocks two kicks from her in response, and he hears a growl from Alex but is not engaged by him. He steps back from a wild right swing and headbutts Cassie, before throwing her to the ground. She comes up in a roll and pulls out her sidearm, but Sub-Zero freezes it with a quick ice ball, rendering it useless. Cassie goes into a fighting stance. He says

“Cassandra Cage. You lead this group, but they do not follow at all. What would your mother do in this situation?”

Cassie frustratingly retorts

“Stop wasting time and take you down.”

They fight. As youthful and determined a fighter as Cassie is, Sub-Zero is leagues ahead of her with his strength, experience and powers. After a fierce battle, he leaves her defeated on the ground. Sub-Zero nods, and in his grandmaster’s, tone says

“You are more like your mother than you think.”

Takeda charges at Kuai Liang from behind and launches into a spin kick with multiple spins, much to his surprise, as he expects Alex to attack. Sub-Zero blocks the attack and throws several punches that Takeda blocks, but he eventually lands one. Takeda fights back with several more kicks, all blocked. On the final kick, Sub-Zero covers himself with ice as Takeda lands on him with a spinning downwards kick, seemingly shattering him into ice shards. After Takeda spends a moment looking around, Sub-Zero resurfaces behind him and dropkicks him in the back. The Lin Kuei Grandmaster kicks up to his feet as Takeda struggles. He chides

“Your powers should have revealed my intention, Takahashi Takeda. No doubt Kenshi taught you how to use them.”

Takeda growls, but still has respect, and says referring to Hanzo and not Kenshi

“My father taught me a lot, Grandmaster.”  
“Let us see.”

They fight. Even with his agility and lasher whips, the Shirai Ryu ninja proves to be little match for the Lin Kuei Grandmaster. It's not long before Takeda is face down on the ground, defeated. Sub-Zero takes a similar tone to Scorpion with Takeda stating 

“You are not your father. Not yet.”

Alex remained outside of the fight, analyzing the situation and was very aware this was a test they were failing, all because Kung Jin could not follow orders. Alex noted Sub-Zero’s fighting style and saw some flaws but kept his tongue. He restrained himself as his fiancée lay beaten on the ground. He wanted so badly to beat the shit out of Grandmaster Sub-Zero for that and if it had been five years ago, he would have. He cleared his thoughts, deciding to kneel and meditate for a moment, his ears picking up on the fighting and feeling the numerous movements on the ground. Tremor had taught him this, as to better his chances in combat. He opened his eyes and continued to observe the excurse unfold. His mind worked as he saw the battlefield like a chess board and his allies were losing badly and it was up to him to find the way to win. He knew what should have happened, and what had happened, now he watched what was to happen.


	12. The Lin Kuei Pt.2

From behind, Jacqui attempts to punch Sub-Zero in the back of his head, but he anticipates her attack and sweeps her legs with his arm. Jacqui turns her fall into a cartwheel and lands on her feet. She curses 

“Dammit.”  
“You announced your arrival, Jacqueline Briggs.”

Sub-Zero notes, and Alex agreed having seen and heard her, she replies slightly agitated 

“Specialist Briggs.”  
“Yes. Military decorum is important to your family.”

Sub-Zero says in a way that makes Jacqui take several swings at him, one of them managing to hit him in his side. She lands another in his stomach and a superman punch to his face, staggering him a few steps backwards. Alex pays attention curious, as Jacqui sneers

“If you know my father, you know me. Thought you and he were friends.”  
“Our histories share a dark chapter.”

Sub-Zero says to her grimly, angering her, and they fight. Despite her only augmentation being her powered gauntlets, Jacqui proves to be a tough fighter. However, Sub-Zero's experience, strength and ice powers see him through the fight, and he knocks Jacqui to the ground. He says in a soft almost fatherly tone

“Do not judge yourself harshly, Specialist Briggs.”

Jacqui suddenly whirls to her feet and lands a spin kick across Sub-Zero's face. She lands a right hand and then a roundhouse kick, taking the Grandmaster to one knee, stunned, he had not expected that and Alex smirks. A Lin Kuei ninja charges her with a sword, forcing her to block his attacks and disengage from the fight, much to Alex’s chagrin. Elsewhere on the temple grounds, Kung Jin throws a Lin Kuei to the ground, blocks a sword strike from another, grabs his arms and judo throws him down too. Seeing Sub-Zero on one knee, Jin charges in with a straight kick, but Sub-Zero suddenly stands up and blocks it and a follow up kick. The Grandmaster ducks under one of Jin's jump spinning kicks and charges in with several punches. Jin blocks most, but one in the chest and another in the face tag him. He staggers back from the onslaught and magically readies his bow-staff. Kung Jin notes proving he can be observant when he choses

“A feint. Bravo.”

Sub-Zero notes to Kung Jin, hinting at him, Alex

“Kung Jin. You should rally your companions rather than mock your superiors.”

Kung Jin momentarily steels Alex a glance before saying

“I'll remember that - in case I ever meet one.”

They fight. Jin's arrogance proved to be his undoing, for despite his skill in battle, Sub-Zero's endurance is far too strong, and his powers are far greater. In short order, Jin is lying on his back in the snow. Sub-Zero notes to him in disappointment

“False bravado does not suit you.”

By now, the Lin Kuei have successfully subdued Cassie, Jacqui and Takeda, and have them on their knees with their hands tied behind them. Kung Jin is soon bound and put with them in the same manner. Sub-Zero walks over to Team S-F. Takeda asks

“Any ideas?”

Cassie nods before saying

“Sub Zero, let's talk.”  
“That opportunity has passed.”

He turns to Alex who remains knelt on the ground off to the side untouched. Sub-Zero approaches him and asks

“You did not fight. Why?”  
“That was not the plan. The plan was to talk to you, and if you did not cooperate, then resort to fighting, but somebody had to jeopardize the mission.”

Alex glances at Kung Jin, much to the Shaolin’s chagrin. Sub-Zero nodded before saying

“You show wisdom Alexander, you do your mother proud.”

That comment flew over Alex’s head, but Kung Jin’s next comment caught his attention

“Got a new plan, Cage?”

Jacqui growled

“Like Alex said, you could'a followed the old one, Jin.”  
“You would take orders from that Black Dragon freak?”  
“Over you, yeah.”

Cassie then said to Grandmaster Kuai Liang

“You're gonna catch hell if you kill us.”

Sub-Zero considers this for a moment, the literal part being Scorpion over Takeda, and figurative from Johnny, Jax, and Raiden. Alex had kept out of it but he could bring the Black Dragons down on him if he so desired. He says 

“...Yes. I suppose so.”

He calls out to one of the Lin Kuei in Chinese. The assassin cuts the ropes that bind Team S-F, and the Lin Kuei retreat back into the temple. Sub-Zero approaches Alex and offers the Black Dragon his hand to help him up, which Alex takes. Cassie is shocked

“That worked?”

A whistle catches Team S-F's attention as they rise to their feet. Standing on the staircase to the temple is Johnny Cage, who salutes them with a pointed finger. Jacqui says in stunned shock

“This was all a... a—"

Sub-Zero would have spoken but he acquiesced to Alex who said 

“Yes, it was a training exercise.”

Cassie groaned and said

“Damn. I shoulda seen it.”

Sub-Zero nodded before adding

“You and your friends show much promise, Cassandra Cage. But until you function as one, you will fall short.”

Alex shook his head and said

“I mean, what are we, a team? No, no, no. We're a chemical mixture that makes chaos. We’re, we're a time-bomb. Really only I, Jacqui and Takeda seem to follow Cassie. Yet you are oil and water, Jin, Cassie.”

Sub-Zero nodded before the five of them soon left nursing wounded pride. An old crone of a Lin Kuei approached Sub-Zero and asked

“Was that?”  
“Outworld’s Prince? Yes. He is unaware of it though, Snowfall.”

Snowfall nodded. She looked at him and saw him look thoughtful before she says

"Hurtled into the chaos, he fights... and the world will shake before him."

She paused before musing

"Is it fate or chance? I can never decide."

Sub-Zero mused 

“Probably Fate, knowing his mother.”

Snowfall nodded before she said

“That boy did not fight. I wonder why?”  
“He knew this was a test and knew from the start they had failed. He even called out their flaws before they left. But the entire time, I had kept an eye on him. Alex was watching, and he thinks like his father.”


	13. Wounded Pride and New Mission

Back on their plane and in their command center, Team S-F begin dressing their wounds and pride, Alex being the only one unscathed as he did not fight. Cassie walks in, making sure to shoulder bump Jin as she passes, and shoots a glare at Alex for his lack of participation. Johnny follows behind her, a grin on his face as he tries to lighten the mood.

“So other than that, you enjoyed your visit.”  
“The Lin Kuei shredded us.”

Cassie says forlorn, sitting by Alex, her anger with him be spelled as he messaged the pain in her back. Kung Jin sneered at Cassie

“You, maybe.”

Jacqui was quick to defend Cassie

“I see plenty of frozen boot prints on your ass, too.”

Johnny easing the tension says

“C'mon now, you're all winners in my book.”

This does nothing to encourage Team S-F, who continue to look downcast. Alex looks up

“It’s a mindset like that, that poisons minds. Losses must be felt.”  
“That some Black Dragon mantra?”

Kung Jin taunts Alex. Alex gets up and says

“Kung Jin, I have had just about enough of your shit. What the hell is your problem?”  
“My problem? My problem is first, you should not even be here. You are a Black Dragon. Your scum does not belong among the honorable. Secondly, you look like a freak. Third, how are you even related to Kano, honestly? Fourth, half the time you hang back and don’t do shit! Lastly, you didn’t even lift a finger and you have nerve to say that we aren’t a team?”

Cassie was about to explode in anger. Jacqui gulped amid the growing tension. Alex seemed unfazed. Takeda held Cassie back, firmly but gently as she was not his. Alex crossed his arms standing at his full seven-foot height and retorted

“Not be here? We all paradoxically should and shouldn’t be here for various reasons. You should talk, Jin. Don’t think I don’t know you were just a common Robin Hood wanna be before you joined the Shaolin Monks. I look like a freak? Do you know how hurtful that is? No, I am not related by blood to Kano, he adopted me, but don’t you talk about him, General Blade is the only one allowed to do that. You know why I hang back? I watch my opponents. Yah know why? So, I can see their strategy. All four of ya’s coulda beatin’ Sub-Zero if I felt you could listen to me, but not a single one of you ever listens. Now Mate, ya wanna know why I stepped back? I knew what the plan was and ya fucked it up, you utter asshole. We aint a team.”

Cassie looked worried. Alex prided himself on being different from Kano, but when he was pissed off, he would slip into the Aussie accent. Cassie said

“Alex! You sound like Kano.”

Alex paused, looked back at her, thought over what he said before he noticed an incoming strike from Kung Jin. The Shaolin and Black Dragon exchanged blows and parries. Alex grabbed a hold of Kung Jin’s shoulders and forcefully shoved him against the metal walls, sending Jin tumbling towards the floor hard. He then offers Kung Jin his hand, who slaps it away with a growl before getting up. Cassie dashes over to Alex and touches his bruised cheek. He hisses more in sensitivity than pain. Johnny's phone begins to vibrate in his back pocket, and he takes it out. He takes one look at the screen and becomes deadly serious. He speaks

“New orders. From General Blade.”

He walks over to the computer and types something in. He reads the screen for more info. His face conveys worry as he relays

“Priority One: Outworlders. Here in Earthrealm...”

Takeda concernedly asks

“An invasion?”

Jacqui says 

“Couldn't be.”

She notices Johnny is silent. So does Jin. Jin snidely asks

“You're not afraid are you, Mister Cage?”

Johnny responds

“Outworlders, I can handle...”

Alex looked a bit concerned by Johnny’s response. Sub-Zero’s words echoed at the back of his mind

\- “You show wisdom Alexander, you do your mother proud.”-

He fingered the necklace he was wearing under his shirt. Tasia had given it to him once he turned sixteen, explaining it had been around his neck when he was brought to them. She did not explain further beyond telling him that one pendant was Greek and the other…Outworlder. Alex’s eyes widened at the possibility but said nothing. Kung Jin noticed Alex’s reaction and filed it away for later, something was up with Alex. Cassie had seen Alex’s expression and knew what he was thinking about

-Flashback-  
Cassie lay on the couch in Alex’s room. It had been about a month now since they started dating and they found they were a great match. Cassie’s head was on Alex’s lap as he read from one of his favorite books. She noticed a leather cord around his neck and asked

“I didn’t know you were one to wear a necklace.”

Alex paused putting his book down with a bookmark in it. He tugged at the cord bringing the necklace fully into her view. The cord was well cared for, though the two medallions on it were old. One was tarnished gold with a lyre carved into it. Απόλλων, adorned it flowing Greek letters. Alex explained

“This is a Priestess Medallion. Given to the Priestess of Apollo, thus Απόλλων on there.”

He flipped that medallion over and carved into it was Αλέξανδρος βάλκιρι Ντάρκοφ. Alex smiled and said

“It has my name on it. Αλέξανδρος βάλκιρι Ντάρκοφ, means Alexander Valkyrie Darkov.”

She nodded as he then showed her the other. A copper piece with a horned skull on it. Alex looks depressed

“In all my books, I can not find a faction, crown, or region with this symbol. All I know is it is given to members of a guard.”  
“Hmm. Maybe you need to look beyond Earthrealm.”

Cassie suggested, noting the back had language native to Outworld. She recognized the language but could not read it. Alex nodded, tucking it back under his shirt saying

“It’s the only thing of my parents I own. My only clue as to who I am.”

-End Flashback-


	14. Broken Promise

The scene cuts to Team S-F's plane touching down at a refugee camp policed by the Special Forces. The blind swordsman Kenshi - aged and graying - walks over to the plane. The scene cuts to a few minutes later after Johnny and Team S-F have disembarked from the plane. Johnny asks Kenshi

“So, when did they show up?”

Kenshi sighs, giving him the answer

“The portal opened by the docks a few hours ago. Nearly five thousand in all. Refugees from the Outworld civil war.”  
“Must be bad if they risked coming to Earthrealm.”

Kenshi says to Kung Jin, allowing him to pass 

“After you.”

As Jin, Cassie, Jacqui, Alex, and Johnny all walk into one of the command tents, Kenshi stops Takeda and puts a hand on his shoulder. Kenshi then says telepathically to Takeda

:: Do not dwell on your encounter with the Lin Kuei, son. ::

Takeda sighs out loud, before replying telepathically

:: Kinda hard not to. ::

They both walk into the command tent. Amidst all the Special Forces soldiers at various monitors, Raiden stands over a beautiful young woman, who despite looking vaguely Asian is no doubt from Outworld. She is seating and nursing a hot drink as Kenshi and Takeda walk over. General Sonya Blade - looking startlingly young for almost fifty - turns when she sees them approaching, she asks

“Thanks, Kenshi. Could you and Mister Cage join us?”

She perches on the side of a nearby table near the woman. Cassie begins to walk over as well, and Sonya addresses her while barely looking in her direction.

“Sergeant Cage, you and your team as you were.”

She turns away. Cassie is clearly annoyed by this and shares a glance with her father. At his silent request, she does as she's told. Raiden then introduces

“This is Li Mei. She seeks asylum for her people in Earthrealm.”

The young Outworlder had been looking at Alex before she turned her attention to the rest of them saying

“Our village, Sun Do, was the epicenter of a fierce battle. We barely escaped with our lives.”

Johnny states almost too callously 

“Such is war.”

A moment of silence passes before he sighs and says

“I mean, no offense, but... you Outworlders kinda live for that, right? I mean, we templars were once like you, we strayed from our noble path.”

Li Mei nods but says

“This was different. The rebels, Mileena, had a weapon, unlike anything... Entire battalions, erased. It was not honorable. Not kombat.”  
“May the father of understanding guide us all.”

Johnny said in response like a ‘Lord help us.’ Raiden then asks

“Tell me more about the weapon.”

Li Mei nods continuing

“A talisman. Gold, with a center jewel. Mileena wields its crimson energy without precision.”

Cassie looked hopeful and said

“Well, that's good then—"  
“Not now, Sergeant Cage.”

Sonya berates and Cassie looks downcast as Li Mei continues, which Alex did not like.

“It is enough that she possesses it. It turns the tide in her favor. The emperor grows desperate. And those caught in the middle... pay the price.”

Raiden’s expression grew dark and grim

“If this talisman is what I suspect it to be, we may all pay a price.”  
“We are talking about Shinnok's Amulet?”

Kung Jin asked without getting an answer as Sonya says to Raiden

“Can't be. The base, the vault, your wardings? S-F, Shaolin, no way anyone can get past all that.”

Raiden with a sigh spoke  
“I must be certain.”

He leaves the tent. Johnny breaks the silence.

“Well, this is cozy.”

Sonya says nothing but glares at him with an annoyed expression. Li Mei notices the tension between them and tries to cool it off. She says to Johnny, which grabs Alex’s attention like a heat-seeking missile

“You remind me of an Earthrealmer who crossed over with us. He also found humor in everything.”

Johnny laughed but was uneasy with Alex’s expression, the kid’s mind moved like Kabal it was scary

“Handsome guy, right?”

The joke is seemingly lost on Li Mei. She replied describes the man 

“He was an Earthrealmer. One of his eyes... glowed red.”

At this, Johnny and Sonya realize exactly who she means. Alex slams his fist on a nearby table and shouts.

“ELDER GODS DAMN HIM TO THE DEEPEST LAYER OF THE NETHERREALM!”

Everyone spun to face a now fuming Alexander. If there was one thing Alex did value besides Cassie was a promise. He kept his promises, he was an honest member of the Black Dragons. But Kano…Kano had made him a promise not to cause any trouble while Alex served with Special Forces, and The Black Dragon lied to his face. Though he is Black Dragon, Alexander is also honorable; a broken promise to him led to dire consequences and Alexander was sure they would pay a heavy price. Kung Jin, put off by this display, turns to Jacqui and whispers 

“Who does she mean? And what is Alex’s deal?”

Jacqui shrugs in response. Sonya, knowing how pissed Alex was, was quick to attempt to quash the fire

“Kenshi, continue with Li Mei. I'm going to the refugee camp. Gotta get to him before he finds a way out. Alexander Valkyrie Darkov, calm down this instant.”

She starts walking outside. Johnny falls in with her. Alexander walks over as well, fists balled and barely able to contain his anger, followed by Cassie. Johnny speaks

“I'll come with.”

Sonya stops at once and addresses Johnny directly. She has a personal reason to go after Kano at this point.

“Go get an update on camp security from Colonel Flagg.”  
“Why?”  
“Because then you won't be here.”

Cassie looks more outraged than her father does and starts forward. Johnny motions for her to stand down and then leaves the tent without another word. Sonya watches him as he leaves and doesn't look away until Cassie addresses her.

“Are we with you?”

Sonya turns and says

“No. I need to confirm with Kotal Kahn that Li Mei's story is true. You and your team are going to Outworld. And that means you too Alexander.”  
“With all due respect General, I--”  
“That is an order, Alexander. If it will put you at ease, I will let him know just how seething pissed you are with him.”

She turns around and leaves the tent without another word, leaving Alex seething with anger as he is left with his team. All the while Li Mei is watching them. Li Mei curiously looked at Alex and said 

“This Earthrealmer, you seem to know him rather well.”

Alex turned around, letting his anger go for a moment as he said politely

“I do. That man raised me. He...He promised me that he would not cause trouble for me while I served here. Now I see he lied to my face.”

Takeda felt for Alex. He still didn’t exactly like his father Kenshi for leaving him with Hanzo when he was eight. He gently put a hand on Alex’s shoulder and said nothing. There was nothing that the Shirai-Ryu Chujin could say to the Black Dragon, who now was unsure of his role in all of this.


	15. Welcome to Outworld pt. 1

The scene cuts to Outworld's capital, Z'unkahran. Team S-F are walking through the crowded streets of Outworlders going about their normal business. Alex is just in awe, but a sense of familiarity washes over him as he looks around Outworld, Jacqui comments 

“I dunno, I expected the sky to be purple or something.”

Kung Jin laughed a moment before saying

“Don't believe everything you see online.”

Cassie retorted

“And what makes you an expert?”  
“The Shaolin archives. I studied a lot about Outworld.”  
“No substitute for experience.”  
“So, what makes you our leader?”

The two of them stop walking and stare one another down, Alex watches not only them but his surroundings. Takeda intercedes before anything else happens saying

“Guys, let's stick to the mission?”

Cassie breaks off the stare down and walks off. Jin smiles to himself and follows along with Takeda and Jacqui. Alex keeps up, shoving past Kung Jin to walk with Cassie, a small growl escaping his lips as Cassie muses

“Li Mei has to be telling the truth.”

Jacqui agrees, adding

“An invasion would violate the Reiko Accords.”

Kung Jin snorts and says

“'Cause, you can always trust an Outworlder...”

That line somehow stings Alex deep in his core, yet he does not understand why. Yet as he watches he notices the people starting to watch them, he hears whispers

“Arishok, Ataas armaas, Sten haas-toh! Bas nehersaam saata shok!”

Takeda questions catching some brief memory flashes from the Outworld citizens before their minds go blank

“But if Outworld's our ally, why didn't they help us during the Netherrealm war? Against Quan Chi and his team of...”  
“Revenants? Like Jacqui's dad?”

Jacqui stops dead at Kung Jin’s remark. Even Alex knew that was a low blow as he watches her round on him

“Asshole!”

Jin turns around, addressing everyone as he does so, Alex gets some familiar vibes from Kung Jin’s stance. Alex notices the guards approaching along with a mercenary. Alex giving a silent nod to the mercenary says nothing as Jin says his piece 

“It's not an alliance. Non-aggression pact. Outworld is not our ally.”

A new voice cuts through the air, and Team S-F find themselves surrounded by several of Kotal Kahn's soldiers. The one speaking stands out the most in his gunslinger attire. As far as Alex can figure he’s a cowboy. He continues

“A point you might make with more subtlety, given your surroundings. Now state your business. Including a reason why we shouldn't kill you.”

Takeda puts his hand to his head, telepathically reading Erron Black's mind. He states

“I can read you. You're not from Outworld.”

He turns his gaze to Takeda and sighs, explaining

“I'm from Earthrealm - like you - but my employer, Kotal Kahn is from Outworld. So now I'm from Outworld. State your business.”

To keep things civil, Cassie answers,

“We're emissaries. We need to talk to Kotal Kahn.”

She pulls something out of her back pocket. Alex smiles, ever proud of her. She says

“Here, we have Raiden's official seal.”

The cowboy looks at it for a moment. Alex can tell he is playing things safe and he can respect that. He then realizes where he has seen him before, but he keeps quiet for the moment. The cowboy remarks

“I can buy one of those at that stall right over there.”

He points over at a nearby vendor and his stall. The vendor looks at him nervously as some guards walk up and inspect his stall finding counterfeit items, soon arresting him. Kung Jin ignores that given it was the vendor’s fault. Alex on the other hand feels a bit guilty. He listens as Kung Jin speaks 

“Look, you can arrest us, even kill us, but if we're telling the truth, you probably get a pay cut - or worse. You take us to the Kahn, I'll tell 'im you took us down. Maybe get you a bonus. You can't lose.”

The cowboy considers this new offer for a moment longer than he did Cassie's. He likes how Jin thinks. Alex must admit Jin had something going this route. This was working in their favor, for the moment. The cowboy glances at each of the five kids, finally looking at Alex. Alex was seven feet tall, had long black hair that was tied back and his crimson eyes were on full display. He had changed from his typical jeans and t-shirt to more appropriate attire. He wore a form-fitting blue shirt that covered every inch of skin from the top of his chest down to the top of his waist. Short sand stained white pants covered him from his waist until just a few inches past his knees. Brown thigh-high boots protected his feet and legs. Fingerless black armored gloves covered his hands and forearms for an added layer of protection from the scaring sand. A long red scarf was tied about his neck and head to serve as a dust mask to protect him from blowing sand kicked up in desert squalls. Lastly, red-tinted goggles rested on his forehead that he could lower to protect his eyes. The Cowboy’s eyes lightened as they looked at Alex and he said

“Follow me.”

He walks off. Team S-F followed with the soldiers close by. Jin flashes another smile at Cassie. The soldiers roll their eyes. Two of them stand out to Alex. One wears a traditional Spartan suit of armor carrying a large shield and a proportioned sword. The other wore golden armor with a blue star upon the breastplate. The cowboy looked back to Alex and beckoned him to walk beside him which he agreed. He looked at Alex and then said

“I think yah know me, Kid.”  
“Erron Black I presume?”

Alex asked, to which the cowboy nodded. Alex smiled before he said

“Then…”  
“Yeah, Kid I know yah are a Black Dragon. They treatin yah well?”  
“Yeah, though I want to kick Kano’s ass right now.”  
“Why?”

Erron asked Alex, who sighed before saying

“He broke a promise he made to me.”


	16. Welcome to Outworld Pt. 2

They walk into the main plaza of the marketplace, where a crowd has gathered to watch a public event. A soldier on a raised platform addresses all present, reading from a scroll.

"In these times of war, we are required to view every resource as a weapon for our Emperor to use at his discretion." 

The scene cuts to a closer view. A man has been bound in the stocks, and two soldiers pull him out and restrain him.

"To take without his leave is to steal from the hand of Kotal Kahn himself."

Kung Jin stops to take in the scene, with mounting horror clear on his face. Alex is equally appalled given his own criminal status

"Therefore, having been found guilty of theft, you shall be put to death."

The thief cries out

“I was hungry!”

He is slammed onto a headsman's block. The soldier continues

“Your sentence will be carried out... immediately!”

Jin turns to Erron asking 

“Death? For petty theft?”  
“Remember where you are.”

Kung Jin defiantly pushes his way through the crowd. Cassie is shocked and exclaims

“Jin?!”

Erron pulls out a revolver, intending to shoot Kung Jin in the back. Cassie grabs his arm and throws him down, causing the shot to go wide. Takeda and Jacqui begin fighting the soldiers as well. On the platform, a soldier holds a macuahuitl - an Aztec (or in this universe, Osh-Tekk) spiked war club - over the thief's head. As he prepares to swing it downward, an arrow pierces his shoulder, sending him down in pain. Jin puts down his bow-staff and charges in. Alex hangs back, shaking his head frozen by an inner voice in his head.

Three soldiers pull their swords and meet Kung Jin in kombat. The Shaolin warrior easily blocks the first's attacks with his staff and hits him in the side of his helmet. Jin hits another strike to his stomach and knocks him down with a bash to the back of his head. He blocks two strikes from the second soldier and sends him sprawling with a staff hit to the face, then repeats the motion to the third soldier before he can even finish his attack. Behind him, other Outworld citizens begin attacking the soldiers as well. Alex makes his choice, picking up a fallen blade and joins the Outworld soldiers in attempting to keep the peace.

Elsewhere, Erron blocks a high kick and a punch from Cassie, and she blocks two of his attempts to shoot her and ducks a pistol whip. He counters another strike from her by bashing her in the forehead with his revolver. Alex turns his head to see Cassie on the ground stunned as Erron Black dashes away from her and the growing conflict around them. Alex growls at the sight of seeing his beloved hurt but is too busy preoccupied as he is swarmed by a few Outworld villagers who mistake Alex as one of the soldiers.

The soldiers now have a full-scale riot on their hands. One is tackled off the platform by an Outworld citizen, while a second is pushed off by another citizen, allowing Jin to run up and free the thief from his binds. Alex can not believe what he hears

“Get outta here! Go!”

The citizen helps the grateful thief to his feet. Jin turns around and walks off the platform, coming face to face with Erron Black. Alex grew increasingly frustrated, and perhaps feral; though the chaos around him and his team began to affect Alex mentally, he can keep as calm as mind as possible, merely knocking out the civilians rather than kill them. Before more civilians began to circle him, Alex turns to watch

“I knew I shouldn't have listened to you.”  
“A lesson in trust... from a mercenary.”  
“Here's another learning opportunity.”

They fight. As deadly and pragmatic a fighter as Erron Black is, Kung Jin exhibits equal skill and speed with his own weapons. After a hard-fought battle, the Shaolin student leaves the mercenary flat on his back. Alex is impressed. He stands aside as Kung Jin says

“I'm a quick learner.”

The soldiers surrounding the rest of Team S-F are quickly defeated. Alex, growing weary of the civilian strife, stands aside as one of the soldiers traveling with them, the Outworld guard in Spartan armor pulls him aside. Alex looked terrified before the Spartan says

“Arishokost. Maraas shokra. Anaan esaam Qun.”

Alex recognized the words, relaxing his stance. He did not know what to say as the soldier continued

“That was very brave standing up to your teammates, braver still standing with us guards. Who are you?”  
“Alexander Valkyrie Darkov. Member of the Black Dragon.”

Alex admitted and the guard removed his helmet revealing Ebony locks much like his own, but his eyes were like Cassie’s a baby blue. 

“Commander Ryker Ares Darkov. Darkov is not a common name. So, mind telling me why you are using my family’s name?”

Alex looked scared and stuttered

“I-I-I did not know. It-it is engraved on the back of a pendant I wear.”

Ryker’s baby blue eyes narrowed in suspicion. He growled 

“Show me.”

Alex obeyed if only for his own sake and that of his team as they dealt with their own troubles. He took the necklace off and handed it over to the commander. His eyes first looked of recognition, then to sadness, then registered a fleeting bit of hope before anger returned. 

“Where did you get this?”  
“It was given to me when I turned sixteen. I was told it was around my neck as an infant.”

Commander Ryker pocketed the necklace as “evidence” before he grabbed a length of rope and tied Alex’s hands behind his back. The young twenty-three-year-old Black Dragon’s shoulders and face hung in defeat. Commander Ryker noticed the Black Dragon’s weariness. The Guardsman sighed

“The priestess medallion belonged to my sister. She got it engraved with her son’s name not too long after his birth. It is strange and more than coincidence that someone who looks a hell of a lot like Shao Kahn and Rena combined shows up and shows me these two medallions as only guards have those, the other medallion on that necklace. That aside, regardless of your allegiance, you chose well in doing what you can to end that civilian uprising. You have potential and you have a good head on your shoulders.”

Alex looked up, a faint smile on his tired face as the Spartan guardsman, along with other Outworld guards, ushered Alex off to unknown whereabouts, away from the rest of Team S-F.


	17. Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before I continue, this chapter was very tough for me to write. My editor bless him helped write this one so thank you so much for your help and hard work.

Alex offered no resistance to Commander Ryker and his unit of guards as he was led away from his team, unsure of what was going on. His heart raced; he was terrified of this situation. Yet a voice in his head told him to keep a calm mind and trust the guards. He kept his tongue still as the fatigue set into his body. He held out as he was brought to a building. He did not know what was going on completely as he was ushered inside and forced onto his knees. His heart raced as he tried to figure out what was going on. Commander Ryker stood near him and pulled the necklace back out palming it before he set it back in his pocket. Ryker circled around to face Alex now and asked.

“What brings you here?”  
"We were sent to be a diplomatic team since we had a large group of Outworld citizens flee to Earthrealm."

Alex explained honestly, knowing lies would not save him in this instance. Ryker nodded before he said

“I see. You do not appear like an Earthrealmer”

Alex looks at him confused and never truly has seen himself. He knew from his uncle Karkas that he had ebony hair and crimson eyes and was overly tall, seven-foot-tall to be exact. Ryker noted his confusion and said

“Your height, eye color, the thickness of the skin. Traits not found in any match pure Earthrealmer.”

Alex lowers his head slowly as he ponders the comment. Having experienced all aspects and classes of society not once has Alexander figured that any other humans in Earthrealm shared any physical traits with him. Crimson eyes. Extraordinary height. It had been so long that Alex felt truly like an outsider when he put himself among his Earthrealm peers. For the first time in his life, Alex had a bit of an identity crisis and began to question who he truly is. After some time, Alex raised his head slowly to meet Ryker’s eyes as he brandishes Alex’s necklace again, asking

“Explain to me how you got this necklace again.”

Alex holds his hand out for the necklace, which Ryker lays in the young man’s palms. Alex closely examines the inscriptions and symbols and repeats

“It was given to me when I turned sixteen. I was told it was around my neck as an infant.”  
“And where in Earthrealm were you raised?”  
“Kano raised me as one of his own among the Black Dragon faction. I grew familiar with their practices and their way of life. Kano personally gave the necklace to me as part of an initiation ceremony. Though he beat me pretty bad, which I was accustomed to from time to time, I held my own and stood tall in the end. He wasn’t the perfect father, but he meant well…”

Alex trailed off when he remembered Kano’s treachery was the reason why his team’s presence in Outworld in the first place. He clenched the necklace and gritted his teeth. Confusion and anger were all he felt. Before he could start again, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Hm. Fitting you were raised by the Black Dragon.”

Ryker’s face looked stern but rather fatherly; the same look Kano would give him. Alex could make out the numerous facial scars on him; grim, tired, but also an aura of strong will. His right eye white, his left eye pale blue, indicating his victories in battle did not come without sacrifice. Sacrifices were not new to Alex. Still, Alex couldn’t help but recognize the physical and even some personality trait similarities between Kano and Commander Ryker. He pondered these facts as he noticed Ryker standing back as he waved his hand upward to allow Alex to stand up. Alex’s ties were cut, freeing him from his bonds. Alex quickly rolled his shoulders to limber up as he eyed Ryker.

“Alexander Valkyrie Darkov. I knew your mother, Rena Athena Darkov.”

Alex’s crimson eyes lit up. Though confused as ever, the name faintly resonated in his mind. He knew the name. But how? Ryker continued

“A tenacious one, she was. Cold, ferocious, brutal, yet calculated. There was no one like her. Rest her beautiful soul.

Ryker’s voice trailed off and looked off to the sky before meeting Alex’s eyes again, continuing as he stepped towards Alex, placing his hands on Alex’s shoulders.

“If she were here now, she would be very proud of you.”

Ryker let Alex take in his words. Silence fell in the room before Ryker’s words cut through, declaring

“Alexander Valkyrie Darkov. Son of Rena Athena Darkov. My name is Ryker Ares Darkov. I am your uncle. Welcome home.”

Ryker takes the necklace from Alex’s hand that he had been given at birth and neatly places it around Alex’s neck. Quickly admiring the necklace properly displayed on someone worthy, Ryker embraced Alex as the young man stood, his mind beginning to piece together the statements in relation to him. Before he finished, Alex felt it right that he returned the embrace, to which Ryker tightened further. Alex lightly chuckled; comfortably, not as awkwardly as he would in other similar situations. They let go of their embrace, standing to one another, both smiling warmly at one another. Ryker puts his hand on Alex’s shoulder, saying

“Come, Alexander. You have a lot to catch up on. Though you have been raised as an Earthrealmer, you also need to live up to your Outworld origins. Someone as battle-hardened as yourself still has a lot to learn about combat. You are a Darkov. You are going to fight like one now.”

Ryker led Alex and the other Outworld guardsmen down a corridor adorned with torches and inscriptions in native Outworld languages. Ryker took out a set of keys to unlock the door at the end of the corridor, revealing a large arena, akin to a coliseum. The familiar, orange Outworld sky, lights the arena filled with trap doors, training dummies, and racks of armor, and various weaponry. Alex takes in the scene in front of him, though other troubles begin to cloud his mind. He began to finger his engagement ring; suddenly Cassie is all he can think about right now. Is she okay? Is she safe? Last he saw of her, Cassie was rushing into to face a towering, masked brute with a short, armored woman riding on brute’s back before a civilian sucker-punched him, losing sight of Cassie. Though he is ecstatic to find why exactly he seemed so out of place in Earthrealm, the love of his life’s current whereabouts was eating away at him the longer Alex is away from her. Whatever Commander Ryker is planning to put him through, Alex told himself he would do this if it meant seeing Cassie again.


	18. Kotal Kahn

Kung Jin looks around at his team and asks

“You guys all right?”

They say nothing in response, but a cry across the plaza grabs their attention. More soldiers - far more than they can take on - dash towards them. Once they are surrounded, a Kytinn strolls up to Team S-F. She eyes the team saying

“The Earthrealmers, yes? This One must learn more of your diplomatic techniques.”

Cassie tries explaining

“We're here to see Kotal Kahn. General Blade's—”

The Kytinn cuts her off

“You interfere with Outworld matters. The penalty is death.”  
“I'm sensing a theme.”  
“But as we honor the Reiko accords, we will consult the emperor. You will await him here.”

She walks off, leaving Team S-F surrounded by the soldiers. Cassie turns to Jin. Her anger rising as she berates

“You wanna take this opportunity to tell us what the fuckshit you were thinking?!”

Takeda nods in agreement asking

“I gotta wonder why you'd risk inter-realm war for a bread thief.”

Kung Jin sighs and answers

“Because not all thieves are irredeemable.”

Jacqui laughs and says

“Yet look how you treat Alex…speaking of which where is he?”

Cassie looked about and didn’t find Alex among them or the surrounding soldiers. She was worried about him. It was not like him to just vanish. Not only are they down a person in their team, but her fiancé is missing, and Cassie hasn’t the slightest idea.

-Flashback-

Five years ago, not long after they had helped free their friends and loved ones from the Blood Oath, which helped put Outworld on a friendly path with Earthrealm, Cassie was out and about alone. Ever since that fateful day two months ago Cassie has welcomed the distanced protection of Black Dragons. It was an odd comfort considering how much her mother hated Kano. Yet here Kano was sacrificing his men and women to protect her. Sonya could not wrap her mind around it. She felt her phone buzz and she looked at it annoyed. She did not want to hear from her father who was being a bit overbearing at the moment but the text message was not from any number she had in her phone book or knew off the top of her head. Confused, she opened the message and regretted doing so. The first few were images that she would never show to her parents even if it meant getting Alex back safely. In the first, Alex was stripped naked, restrained with his arms above his head. He was untouched beyond that. The next image, though, sickened her. Alex was in the same position but was bloodied with contusions and lacerations all over his body. The third shocked her as the text read

‘Were you aware he is a Hermaphrodite? A freak of nature?’

The image had been of his legs spread wide for those to see and she saw what they wanted her to see. She shook her head and she saw one last image. Alex was on his knees, blindfolded, gagged, arms restrained heavily behind his back. He was scared from what his body language conveyed. She had to tell someone despite the next saying

‘Not a word about this Ms. Cage’  
“Fuck that.”  
Cassie thought to herself. Desperate acts call for desperate measures  
-End Flashback-

Back in Outworld, Kotal Kahn has his back to Cassie Cage in contemplation. D'Vorah, Erron Black, Ferra/Torr, and Kotal's soldiers still have Team S-F surrounded. He turns back around and walks toward Cassie.

“Your news of refugees is troubling. Their exodus to Earthrealm was not known to me.”

He turns away and walks onto the platform continuing

“I do know this: I invited no guests from Earthrealm. Certainly, none who would disrupt the execution of justice.”

He places a hand on the stocks that the thief was formerly in, he asks.

“How do I know you are not allied with Mileena? Perhaps her newfound power has earned her new friends?”  
“Friends? No. No! We're not even sure that's Shinnok's Amulet that she has—"  
“She employs Shinnok's Amulet against me?! The very item Earthrealm swore would be safe in its care?! When Outworld was offered no participation—"

Realizing that negotiations are taking a turn for the worse, Kung Jin starts forward as Cassie counters

“We were under attack, not Outworld—"

Jin steps in front of Cassie and interjects.

“Kotal Kahn... The Fire that Burns the Sun. We are here because we share your concerns about the missing item. We intend no ill against your rule.”  
“At least one Earthrealmer can forge words like silver. But I recall an Earthrealm expression: "There is more honor among thieves than diplomats."”  
“I've had the questionable fortune to be both, Emperor. But I'm telling you the truth.”  
“You are allied with Mileena.”

To D'Vorah he says

“You may carry out your sentence.”

Kung Jin thinking on his feet says

“Kotal Kahn, under Outworld law, I claim the right of defense...by kombat.”

Takeda looks shocked

“What?”

Jacqui asks

“You're gonna fight... a duel?”

Kung Jin nods before saying to them

“To absolve us of all accusations.”

To Kotal he says

“Denying the request brings dishonor upon the accuser.”  
“You know much of Outworld.”

He steps down from the platform. D’vorah adds

“Know also: The duel ends in death.”

Jin steps into a fighting stance as Kotal does the same. Kotal warns

“You have won nothing. Merely a few more seconds of breath.”

They fight. The battle proved to be one of the toughest of Kung Jin’s life. Facing down an Osh-Tekk warrior at full strength is no easy feat, and it takes all Jin's speed and skill in the battle to hang in there. After what seems like a lifetime, Jin finally powers through Kotal's strength and leaves him down on the ground, defeated. He asks

“And now, Emperor?”

Breathing heavily, Kotal cannot find the strength to rise again. He says

“The charges against you are void. I say to all that Earthrealm means Outworld no harm.”

D'Vorah looks shocked at these words. Team S-F can barely believe it either. Kotal gets to his knees but rises no further. He says

“Now kill me. Be done with it.”

Cassie asks

“You're not actually gonna...?”

Jin steps closer to Kotal. He says

“Instead of your life, I claim your service.”

Kotal looks up in surprise. Kung Jin continues

“If Mileena does have the amulet, we can get it from her more easily if we work together.”

The Osh-Tekk Kahn rises to his feet. D'Vorah walks up to him. She tries

“Emperor, they cannot be trusted—"  
“D'Vorah, can you not perceive? I am indebted to them.”

He holds out his arm, and Jin clasps it at the elbow. Kotal returns the gesture, cementing Kotal Kahn’s servitude and alliance with Team S-F and Earthrealm. Kung Jin says

“You honor us, Kotal Kahn. Our gratitude is as wide as the ocean.”

Kotal says nothing but frowns at the words. Cassie nods and says

“I'll talk to General Blade. Tell her about our new... arrangement. And also mention we are down a member.”

Cassie’s words catch Kotal Kahn’s attention as well as the rest of Team S-F. The ongoing events have kept them preoccupied to the point that Alex had been missing since the civilian uprising. Kotal questions

“Who is missing?”  
“Alexander, a member of the Black Dragon who willingly joined us in the Special Forces. He was last seen when Kung Jin stopped the execution. Any word from your guards if he was taken away?”  
“None that I am aware of.”  
Kotal replies, his brows furrowing at the mention that their fifth missing member is of the Black Dragon, but reserves these thoughts for later. The Osh-Tekk replies

“But I will check on the guards later about his whereabouts and keep you updated. Until then, as promised, I will continue my service until we dispose of Mileena.”

The scene cuts back to Earthrealm in the Special Forces Outworld refugee camp. General Sonya Blade, followed by a squad of armed soldiers, holds an interdimensional transmitter as she walks around the camp. After Cassie relays the news from Outworld, Sonya replies

“Thanks for the heads up, Sergeant. Stay with Kotal Kahn. Do whatever you can to recover Alex. Knowing him, he’s still alive out there. We’ll figure out our next steps once I’ve got Kano locked down.”  
“Yes ma’am. Cage out.”

Sonya Blade hangs up the call as she and the other soldiers continue marching through the refugee camp. She stops to scan the area, filled with confused, distressed, and displaced Outworlders as they are helped however they can by Special Forces members, muttering

“He’s still here. I can feel it.”


	19. Sonya Blade

The scene cuts back to Earthrealm in the Special Forces Outworld refugee camp. General Sonya Blade, followed by a squad of armed soldiers, holds an interdimensional transmitter as she walks around the camp. After Cassie relays the news from Outworld, Sonya replies

“Thanks for the heads up, Sergeant. Stay with Kotal Kahn. Do whatever you can to recover Alex. Knowing him, he’s still alive out there. We’ll figure out our next steps once I’ve got Kano locked down.”  
“Yes ma’am. Cage out.”

Sonya Blade hangs up the call as she and the other soldiers continue marching through the refugee camp. She stops to scan the area, filled with confused, distressed, and displaced Outworlders as they are helped however, they can by Special Forces members, muttering

“He’s still here. I can feel it.”

As she continues through the camp, she comes across two of her medics carrying a body bag on a stretcher.

“Report.  
“One of the refugees. Found her near the north perimeter.”

Sonya unzips the bag. It contains a young Outworld woman who looks far plainer than Li Mei. Further detracting from her looks is her slashed throat, and adding insult to injury, her tongue is sticking out through the open slit in her neck.

“That's one of Kano's "neckties".”

Her composure briefly drops, but she steels herself in short order and zips the body bag back up.

“Inform Li Mei. Tell her we're investigating.”

The medics walk off with the body bag. Sonya pulls out a talisman that acts as a communicator. An image of Raiden is projected on it.

“Raiden, what'd you find?”  
“Shinnok's Amulet has been stolen. Replaced by an exquisite duplicate.”  
“Damn it.”

On the projection, Raiden looks to his left.

“Something is wrong. I will speak to you once I—"

The projection fizzles out.

“Raiden? Raiden!”

After a moment of contemplation, she puts the talisman in her back pocket while whirling around to address her soldiers.

“Lieutenant, I need you to take a team to Fort Charles. Check-in with Raiden and report back.”

The soldiers march off. Johnny Cage chooses this moment to stroll up to Sonya.

“What's goin' on?”  
“What's your update from Colonel Flagg?”  
“He said, "Why're you bothering me?" and I said, "Because my ex-wife is a pain in the--"”

She holds a hand up to stop Johnny and turns, walking away from him. Johnny is quick to follow and intercept her.

“Where are you goin'? You can't just walk away. I'm in this too.”  
“Not my decision. Thank your buddy, Secretary Blake.”  
“THIS is what split us up in the first place. You disappear in your work. Never time for me and Cassie.”  
“I had responsibilities. Sorry, you couldn't be the center of attention.”

Johnny bites back his retort and delivers a carefully measured response.

“There was a time when you cared more about your family than your job... General.”

He walks off. Sonya continues in the direction she was going. Her mind had been a muddled mess of confusion ever since she hit her head twenty years ago. Her memories were not quite the way she remembered them.

-Flashback-

Three young kids played happily under the summer sun. A brown-haired brown-eyed boy, a black-haired blue-eyed girl, and a blonde-haired blue-eyed girl. They seemed so happy as they played together. They were five years old at the time and the best of friends. 

-Ten years later-

She was fifteen and so was he. He had a rugged look about him that she thought was dreamy. They sat in history class both not listening to the teacher as they just glanced at each other and passed notes. He, Kano, had written 

‘Shakes after school luv?’

She had replied

‘Sure if you are buying.’

That meeting would not happen though her father Major Herman Blade had collected her right after school and Kano never saw her after that, nor did their friend Rena Darkov.

-Five years later-

Sonya Blade was working with her partner, one her father had assigned when she spotted Kano up ahead. She had to talk to him. So, she slipped away from her partner in order to meet him discreetly. She noticed that the years hadn’t been kind to Kano. He looked miserable. 

“Come to break a guy’s heart even more, eh?”

Sonya looked down and said

“Kano I am so sorry about that.”

Kano looked at her and said 

“That’s rich coming from you! Specialist Blade. Yeah, don’t think I haven’t been watching you from a distance.”  
“Kano, please. I do still care about you, but clearly, it won’t work out for us. So, could we please part, on friendly terms?”

Kano looked at her, seeing honesty in her eyes and he said 

“Alright, luv. I’ll still be here if ya need me.”

That would have been the end of it if her partner had not walked in on them and took Kano’s comment as aggressive. 

“Stay away from her Kano!”  
“Damiano no!”  
She jumped in the way but got knocked in the head by Damiano. When she came to Damiano was dead, she was in the hospital with amnesia, and her father had said

“Kano was going to kill you, but Damiano stepped in and sacrificed himself. He saved your life. Kano managed to knock you out when reinforcements were coming.”

-End Flashbacks-

Sonya knew that it didn’t sit right with her that Kano would back then. Nowadays though…she doubted there was a chance to get her best friend and ex-boyfriend back. Hate consumed him at this point. She thought she saw glimpses when dealing with him and Alex together, but maybe he was just acting. That his heart had rotted and there was no love for her or Alex either, given how easily he broke a promise to the poor kid who had given four years of his life to him in loyal service. 

“Kano...can’t believe you’d do this to one of your own. To hurt Alex...he didn’t deserve this...this can’t be right.”

She mused to no one as her soldiers had given her space. She was at a crossroads now and did not know which path she should take. Regardless of which, the safety of the realms were at stake and General Sonya Blade had a job to do.


	20. Flashback- Initiation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashback chapter for when Alex was initiated into the Black Dragon Clan.

Flashback- Black Dragon Headquarters Five years ago

Alex had turned eighteen years old and today was a momentous day for him. As he had been promised at around age five, Alex was going to become a full member of the Black Dragons. He was happy. He had been given his birthday to celebrate with his girlfriend Cassie Cage before today. Alex awoke and had breakfast and got dressed in comfortable clothes as he had been asked to the night before by Uncle Kano. He went to the senior members-only section of the base and was met by Uncle Kano who smiled at him. Alex smiled back excited. He led him into a large room where Alex saw the other members of the Black Dragons. Tasia, Jarek, Kobra, Kira, Tremor, No Face, Karkas, and Siris, a rather recent addition to their roster himself but he proved himself, were there. Alex walked into the middle of them and Kano closed the circle as he took his place. Jarek, Kobra, and Siris snickered and eyed one another and then to Alex as Kano cleared his throat

“You’ve waited your whole life this, eh, kid? Yah think yah ready?”

Alex turned to face Kano as he spoke. He chuckled as he cracked his knuckles and neck from side to side. Alex looked around to see the smirks on some of the people around him; Tremor’s face was concealed by his mask, but he was intensely glaring down at the young man. Kobra, Jarek, and Siris had their fists clenched and raised in a ready fighting stance; No Face, Tasia, and Tremor had their arms crossed; Kira and Karkas did neither, but their footing indicated readiness. Alex’s heart rate rapidly increased as it began to dawn on him what was coming. Before Alex could react, his uncle gave the signal.

Kano ran his thumb across his neck.

“Good luck.”

At Kano’s order, Siris struck first and Alex dodged. Kobra ran in from behind as he held Alex in a full nelson. Jarek rushed in and gave Alex a few body blows before finishing off with a quick right uppercut. Alex quickly came to and threw a rough boot straight into Jarek’s chest, sending him flying to the ground. Alex then jumped, grabbed Kobra’s long locks, and kicked his legs, using the forward momentum to throw the hot-headed martial artist over his head.  
Alex was on his knees with a briefly stunned Kobra in front of him, Siris and Tasia rushed forward, throwing a combination of punches and kicks in Alex’s way. Miraculously, and somewhat beautifully, Alex, even on his knees, blocked each of their shots, swatting each fist and leg aside, while treading backward to help gain distance. Alex springs upward and shoulder tackles both Siris and Tasia before throwing a hopping spin kick, hitting both in their faces, sending them reeling back.  
No Face sucker punches Alex from the side, while Tremor rushes in with a discus lariat. The force of Tremor’s devastating blow made the young initiate flip twice before hitting the floor with a thud. Before Alex could open his eyes, he felt a hard kick in the rib before being grabbed and placed on his feet. Trying to regain his breath, Alex is put into a headlock by No Face, as Tremor readies a haymaker. Alex quickly maneuvers his body in a way where Tremor’s punch hits No Face square in his jaw, releasing the headlock. Alex uses this window of opportunity to throw a haymaker of his own on Tremor, following with a punch, elbow, and finally, a rough, desperate headbutt to fall the tall geokinetic.  
Alex was heavily breathing. What the fuck is happening?! Alex is suddenly hit by an upward palm strike by Tasia and hit by a rough elbow to the side of his head by Karkas, followed by a clubbed blow from the hilt of Kira’s dagger and knocked down by her heeled boots. Kira gets on top of Alex and readies a right punch when Alex punches her in the stomach and reverses the predicament into a guillotine choke. Tasia rushes in with a kick into Alex’s abdomen, who absorbs the blow and uses Kira’s body to swat Tasia aside. Alex growls, adrenaline pumping through his veins as Karkas flies towards him with a dropkick. This proves ruinous as Alex steps aside and catches him in mid-air. Alex grunts as he spins and slams Karkas onto his stomach, expelling air from his lungs, momentarily stunning him.  
Alex turns face to face to Kano, who taunts him to come over. With rage, Alex stomps towards Kano, but is unaware of Siris’s surprise attack from behind, knocking Alex off balance. Kano runs in with a few quick jabs, sending Alex reeling. Kano grabs Alex by his shirt collars and delivers a crushing headbutt on Alex’s forehead. By this point, Alex is bleeding profusely, with blood and ichor dripping down his nose, mouth, and other open wounds on his face and body; regardless, Alex stood on his feet and readied his stance as the others around him had already regained their footing. Alex quickly scanned the room and exchanged glances with his Black Dragon superiors. Though they had a few scuffs and blood trails from Alex, all eight of them couldn’t help but smirk or even smile at the young man’s tenacity and prowess. Alex roared as all eight of them rushed in another wave of attacks. Kano smiled from ear to ear at the ensuing chaos.  
For six hours Alex held off attacks, striking back as needed. Though Alex had been severely beaten, the other members didn’t come away with a few marks and scars of their own. Alex looked at the wall of Black Dragons; Kobra, Kira, Tasia, Jarek, No Face, Tremor, Karkas, and Siris all stood before him, puffing but still standing strong. Suddenly, Kano swept Alex’s legs out from under him, knocking him on his back. Alex groaned as Kano pinned him. He grabbed a knife from one of his boots and raised it above his head. The knife shone in the dim light above them. Kano brought the knife down, breaking the ground next to the unflinching Alex, who did not divert his intense glare away from the Australian mad lad. Kano lightly chuckled and said 

“Eh easy, relax kid. You have proven worthy.”

Alex relaxed, steadying his heart rate and breathing as Kano helped him up. Karkas walked over and tended to Alex’s wounds and helped him out of his shredded shirt. Alex is guided to a table and is instructed to lay on it, which he complies. Karkas takes a branding iron from the fire. It glows orange, signifying that it’s ready to use. Without warning, Karkas presses it into Alex’s right side just like the other members of the Black Dragon. He screams in agony as it is held in place for a few minutes before it is removed and Karkas treats it so it will last. Karkas looks forlorn as he knows this next part falls to Siris. No, it should be his brother Kabal working the ink and the skin. Siris was good, but not the artist Kabal was. Siris simply tattooed the logo on Alex’s arm, rather than what Karkas knew could have been so much more. Karkas’ back was covered in a black dracolich tattoo that his brother had given him. This process of the initiation reminded Karkas of his fallen brother. He teared up, missing him. Kano saw his sadness and coughed as he brought out a ritual knife. Kano said

“Kid, with that knife, slit your dominant palm, enough to draw blood, not enough to damage nerves in the hand. As the wound bleeds, repeat after me. I am now and forever a member of the Black Dragons.”

Alex, still reeling from the burning sensation of hot iron, repeats

“I am now and forever a member of the Black Dragons.”  
“I shall serve and protect my brothers and sisters even to my dying breath.”  
“I shall serve and protect my brothers and sisters even to my dying breath.”  
“No matter the cost!”  
“No matter the cost!”  
“I plea now that should I ever break this oath my life shall be claimed by those I have betrayed.”  
“I plea now that should I ever break this oath my life shall be claimed by those I have betrayed.”  
“I am and forever will be a brother of the Black Dragons.”  
“I am and forever will be a brother of the Black Dragons.”

Kano took Alex’s knife and ordered

“Close your eyes kid.”

Alex obeyed as he then felt the knife blade at his throat enough to bleed not kill. Kano then asked him the same words asked of each member

“Do you in all that you are, willing, and entirely place your faith in your Brothers and Sisters?”  
“Yes.”

Alex feels the knife was taken away from his throat and Karkas’ hands working to bandage his hand and throat. Kano says

“Open your eyes mate. Yah one of us now.”

Each dragon in turn welcomed Alex to the fold, even Siris welcomed him despite not being here long either. Kobra, Jarek, Siris, and Kira gave Alex the good ol’ punch on the arm; No Face and Tremor gave an acknowledging head nod; Tasia was the only one who openly hugged Alex, despite both of their conditions. Alex noticed Karkas looking depressed and he approached him and asked

“Uncle Karkas are you ok? You are not happy. Have I offended you?”  
“What? No, Alex not at all.”

He sighs before he looks at Alex again and said 

“My identical twin brother Kabal used to do Siris’ job of tattooing the recruits. You could tell his work compared to some mainstream artists.” 

Karkas took his shirt off and turned around for Alex to see the dracolich Kabal had inked on his back.

“Wow, that is really good.”  
“It was his best piece at the time…still…is.”

Karkas’s voice trails off, as he looks to the distance. Alex could tell something was wrong. He said

“You do not have to continue if you do not want to.”

Karkas sighed and said

“Alex, you are a very close and dear friend of mine. If you can not share your pain with your friends who can you share it with?”

Alex smiled before he said

“Go on then.”  
“Kabal died in the Outworld invasion and was turned into a Revenant to serve at Quan Chi’s side. He and Kano never saw eye to eye. Kabal was one of the few Black Dragons to get away and live. He was marked like the rest of us, but he left with his life. Lived a fairly normal life as a cop until Outworld invaded.”

Alex looked at him sadly and even hugged him as the medical doctor cried in his embrace. Whether finally properly mourning his brother or venting, Karkas was grateful to Alex for being there to comfort him despite his young age. After a bit, Alex walked off to visit with the others before Kano called him over 

“Yes, Uncle?”  
Alex asked. Kano rolled his good eye and reminded

“Yah one of us. Act like it.”  
“Sorry boss.”

Alex replied and a smile crossed Kano’s face as he bumped Alex’s chest with his fist. He said

“There is a good lad. Now take it easy tonight. Tomorrow you learn the ropes, got it?”  
“Yes, Boss.”


	21. Kano

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some backstory to Kano and Sonya. Simply a headcanon but here yah go.

The scene cuts back to the present-day refugee camp. Several of the Outworld refugees are waiting in line.

“Why is it taking so long?”

An S-F soldier sitting at a table is taking everyone's names.

“Name?”  
“Re'em Adu Kaire.”  
“Thanks. All right, the second line on your left.”

Li Mei, Sonya, and Kenshi are overseeing all the refugees being screened.

“You seem to know this "Kano" intimately.”  
“Not the word I'd use, but yes. I chased him for years until he escaped to Outworld after Shinnok's invasion.”

Kenshi asks, continuing to scan the area

“Why would he return now?”  
“All that matters is he's...”

She trails off as she spots the same Outworld woman who was in the body bag earlier, now not sporting Kano's "necktie". A brief flicker on the holographic face confirms her suspicions; it's Kano in a high-tech disguise.

“...caught. Gotcha.”

She discreetly thumbs over to Kenshi, who moves off to the side. Sonya walks directly toward the disguised Kano. Seeing her coming, he cuts away from the line he's in but is intercepted by Kenshi.

“Are you lost?”

He turns around, but Sonya bars his way. Seeing that there's nowhere to run, Kano disengages his disguise and reveals himself, causing several refugees to backpedal in shock.

“'Ello, love! Been a while!”  
“Not long enough.”

She opens a call on her communicator.

“This is General Blade. I need MPs to my location immediately.”  
“Aww, let's keep this between friends. A trade! Info for freedom.”

She gets into a fighting stance.

“I don't negotiate with scumbags.”  
“Well then, if mother won't play nice, maybe daughter will.”  
“If you ever—"  
“Back off, and all's well. Piss me off, and Cassie's gonna meet Uncle Kano.”  
“I swear to God I'll kill you!”

They fight. Kano proves to be every bit as tough as he was in all his previous fights with Sonya, and that's not even counting all the cybernetics he's upgraded his body with. But Sonya has tricks of her own she brings to the forefront, and after an epic battle, she once again manages to leave Kano down and defeated.

“No. I'm not done with you.”

She strides over to Kano and knocks him flat on his back with a kick to the face. She then mounts him and punches him twice in the face, before wrapping her hands around his throat. Kano is unable to pry her arms away.

“Alright! Alright! Get off me!”

Sonya is in no mood to stop, even with Kano gasping for breath. Johnny pushes his way through the crowd

“Sonya, ease up!”

He tries to grab her, but she pushes him away and keeps on strangling Kano.

“You kill me... never find... amulet!”

The MPs arrive as well and point their guns directly at Sonya. Johnny immediately motions for them to stop. They do but keep their guns trained on her. Johnny desperately looks over to his ex-wife.

“Sonya, we need that info.”

She ignores him. Kano's gasps become more and more desperate.

“Sonya... don't make this another thing you'll regret.”

She growls angrily, but it looks like Johnny finally got through to her. She lets go and Kano drops back to the ground, taking in deep breaths of air.

“Talk!”

-Flashback-  
The scene is a rundown, yet spacious, isolated alleyway, dimly lit by the half-moon, barely working lampposts, and running headlights. Kano hops out of a large black van, stopping in front of a four-door car with tinted windows, with three armed men waiting. One, Kano presumed the leader and contact, was armed with a magnum revolver, and the other two armed with sawed-off shotguns, ready at the hip. Kano whistled a tune as he beckoned the leader towards him, as he walked to the back end of the van. The leader told his men to stay behind as he followed Kano to the now open trunk of the van.

“Like what ya see? Military-grade M16s, ammo as far as the eye can see, semtex-H, the same them Irish use, and surveillance equipment. They couldn’t be shitting without yah even knowing.”

Kano chuckled as the leader admired the arsenal in front of him. Kano cleared his throat

“Payment upfront and it’s all yours.”

The leader quickly turned to face Kano and balked

“You’re out of your fuckin’ mind if you think I’m payin’ for this. Nah, what I’m gonna shoot your down undah ass and put you mothafuckin’ ass down undah’!”

He brandishes his revolver and raises it to Kano’s face, cocking the trigger. The commotion caught the attention of his goons, rushing to their leader’s aid. He turned to call them over to help dispose of Kano, but the Aussie quickly grabbed a giant kukri knife from behind his back and chopped off the leader’s hand that carried the gun. Blood spurted onto the right side of Kano’s face as he grimaced, rushing to grab the leader in a headlock right when the two goons arrived.

“Drop yah guns! Don’t want no more blood here, eh?” 

The two goons hesitated, their hands on their shotguns trembling as they saw their leader being used as a body shield, steadily and quickly losing blood from his arm stump. Kano held the kukri knife to their leader’s neck, tauntingly and slowly running the knife from ear-to-ear. The two men looked at one another before one of them spoke

“What should we do, boss?”  
“Get the money out of the trunk before I fuckin’ die!”

One of the men runs to the back seat of their car and returns with a duffel bag. Kano motions them to open them up as he tightens the chokehold on their leader, him gasping for breath and desperately clutching the bloody stump of his forearm. One of the men raises his shotgun and yells

“Alright, you got the money, let him go!”  
“Fuck it, just shoot the goddamn asshole!”

Yells the leader. The man pulls the trigger of his shotgun, but as anticipated, Kano uses their leader as his meat shield and, with his other hand, throws the kukri knife deep into the goon’s neck. He drops his shotgun as the knife is embedded deep into his knife, unsure what to do next as his life slips away as he falls over, dead. The other man readies his shotgun as well, but Kano grabs the leader’s revolver and empties all six shots into the goon.

“Damn cunts...”

Kano muses to himself as he looks over the madness that occurred before him. He struts over to the dropped duffel bag with splattered blood on it, and rummages through it for any possible hidden tracking devices. Luckily for him, there wasn’t one, so he picks up the duffel bag and throws it through the open passenger window onto the seat and goes to close the back doors of the van. His ears perked up as he heard sirens nearby. He then picked up radio talk coming from one of the earpieces of the man with six bullets in his chest. Was this a setup? Kano thought to himself, but before Kano could get away, a police cruiser sped into the alleyway, sirens blazing. Kano locked eyes with the cruiser, making out two silhouettes as he waited behind a nearby dumpster.  
He waited as a tall, broad brown-haired man in a police uniform and bulletproof vest exited the car, followed by a shorter blonde woman, her hair in a high ponytail, in the same get-up. They scanned the area when Kano heard from the man

“Survey the area, Specialist Blade. Scan around to see if the suspect is still around this area. I’ll go look around, check inside the buildings and get up top for an aerial view. More should arrive in 10.”

He speaks into his radio

“This is Specialist Damiano. I’m checking the adjacent buildings to see if he made his way into them. Specialist Blade is surveying the immediate area for any clues. Damiano, out.”

The specialist nods as her partner Damiano readies his pistol as he leaves the alleyway, sure to make way into the adjacent buildings. She takes out a flashlight and readies her own gun. What the light revealed even more shocked her, as she takes in the massacre before her. Three dead, and the suspect is at large. She maneuvers around the puddles and splatters of blood on the floor when she notices a larger figure emerge from the shadows. She shines the flashlight in the way of the figure and raises her gun

“Stop where you are!”

The figure raised his head up, revealing himself to be Kano to Specialist Sonya Blade. Neither had seen one another since high school. Since that fateful day. Sonya Blade noticed Kano’s bloodstained clothes and to her horror, Kano’s right side of his face covered in crimson. Even before this happened, Sonya could see in Kano’s eyes that the years hadn’t been kind to him. He looked miserable. He growled at her

“Come to break a guy’s heart even more, eh?”

Sonya looked down, shaking her as she said

“Kano I am so sorry about that.”

He looked at her and said

“That’s rich coming from you! Specialist Blade. Yeah, don’t think I haven’t been watching you from a distance.”  
“Kano, please. I do still care about you, but clearly, it won’t work out for us. So, could we please part, on friendly terms?”

He looked at her, seeing honesty in her eyes and he said

“Alright, luv. I’ll still be here if ya need me.”

Kano approached her as if to hug her, but her partner had not walked in on them and took his comment as aggressive.

“Stay away from her, Kano!”

Specialist Damiano appeared from behind Sonya as he readied his pistol. He took in the situation before him, putting away his gun and drawing his baton instead. Damiano eyed Kano down as he rushed in, intent on beating him unconscious.

“Damiano no!”

Sonya jumped in the way but got knocked in the head by him. She crumpled to the hard cement, rendering her unconscious. Kano dashed over to her, noticing a small scrape spilling blood on her forehead. He gently lifted her into his lap and cried

“Sonya? Sonya!”  
Damiano tsked saying

“I knew I recognized that ugly mug anywhere. She should have stayed away from you. Now I am going to have to kill you for getting too close to her again. Sorry, Major Blade’s orders.”  
“Then try it.”

Kano said, setting Sonya down gently and entering a combative grappling stance. Damiano stalked closer as he tapped his baton on nearby dumpsters and trash cans. Damiano winded up and swung his baton overhead, which Kano parried and elbowed the specialist in the chin. He dropped his baton, but balled his fist and brought it up into Kano’s esophagus, expelling air from the Aussie’s lungs. As Kano doubled over, Damiano positioned him overhead into a powerbomb and flung him against the brick wall of the surrounding apartment. Damiano pulled out his gun and cocked it, but Kano was able to kick it out of his hands. The specialist winced before throwing a harsh boot into Kano’s face, flooring him down again.  
Though Kano had easily taken on and defeated men like Damiano before, seeing Sonya Blade hurt before her devastated him and his psyche. Damiano gave Kano a few more body blows and face punches before dragging him to another brick wall across from them. He grabbed hold of Kano’s head and neck and repeatedly smashed Kano’s right side of his face into the wall, ultimately shattering his right orbital bone beyond recognition. His vision severely handicapped, Kano struggled to open up his left eye and caught one glance at Sonya again. With newfound drive, Kano gritted his teeth and pressed his feet against the wall, and propelled both him and Damiano onto the hard floor, releasing his hold on the criminal. With Damiano staggering to get up, Kano pinned him down and rained blow after blow on the specialist. His face profusely bleeding, Damiano managed to block one of Kano’s attacks and shoved him off. He turned over and saw his gun mere feet away. He began crawling towards the gun when Kano leaped onto his back and applied a rear-naked choke. Damiano struggled, his fingers just touching the handle. Noticing that he was inching closer and closer to having the gun fully in his grasp, Kano, in desperation, snapped Damiano’s neck.  
Using the last of his strength, Kano mustered himself off of Damiano and limped over to Sonya. He collapsed beside her, groaning as he hit the ground. 

“Forever and always I will love you, Sonya. Please don’t die.”

He said, kissing her forehead before his world went black. 

-end flashback-


	22. Retrieving the Amulet

The scene cuts to Outworld. Takeda and Jin climb up the stairs of Kotal Kahn's palace to meet with Jacqui and Cassie. Cassie is speaking with Sonya over her communication piece, next to a large table which seems to be where Kotal Kahn and his advisors would meet to discuss affairs.

“The Kuatan Jungle?”  
“With at least two divisions of Tarkatans. They're on the move constantly to avoid detection.”

Jacqui checks something on her communications device, which appears to be a map of sorts.

“That's not far. Maybe two hundred kilometers.”  
“You know what to do.”

Cassie replies 

“Yes ma'am.”  
“Good luck. Blade out.”

Kotal Kahn and D'Vorah walk up to Team S-F from the other side of the table.

“You have new information? From Earthrealm?”  
“Kano gave us the details on Mileena's location. She has the amulet, but she's got a lot of protection.”  
“We will strike immediately.”

D’Vorah then suggests

“Perhaps a two-pronged approach. The army will engage Mileena -distract her - while This One retrieves the amulet.”

Cassie shakes her head before commenting  
“Not alone. "This One's" coming with.”  
“Stealth is of the essence.”  
“Did you not hear me?”  
“You may assist in the main strike—"

Kotal cuts her off not wanting to hear the argument further

“D'Vorah. We will grant their request and I will finally be rid of Mileena.”

D'Vorah doesn't look very happy at Kotal for this decision, but she says nothing to him. Cassie for all her attempts still had her mind on Alex. She shook her head fearful of his fate. She was reminded of the last time he had been missing and she was as much scared for him now as she was then.

-Flashback-

‘Not a word about this Ms. Cage’  
“Fuck that.”  
Cassie thought to herself. Desperate acts call for desperate measures, with regards to the threatening messages. Cassie's senses and gut told her to go to her mother for help. She still wasn't sure how to ask for help beyond showing her mother the messages. She got to the Special Forces base and found her mother in her office through the glass window, switching between numerous monitors and flipping through dossiers. She knocked on the closed door and heard her mother’s voice, though Cassie couldn’t properly hear exactly. She saw Sonya face the door and stand up from her seat and make her way towards the door, so she stood back and at attention. The door clicked and opened as the General made eye contact with her daughter, who in return duty saluted her superior

“At ease, Specialist Cassie. How may I help you?”  
“General Blade...I mean, Mom...Alex is in trouble.”

Cassie stammered in a low voice, much to the shock of her mother, who is not used to seeing her daughter Cassie in such a state, even on the battlefield. Sonya ushered her daughter inside her office. Sonya closed the door behind her as Cassie took out her phone and opened the text messages from the anonymous number. Cassie told herself that she would never show such images to anyone else, but her back was against a wall and she felt she had no other choice. Though she cringed at having to show these inappropriate pictures to her mother, Cassie had to fill General Blade on the full context and seriousness of the situation. Sonya analyzed the pictures, looking for any clues for Alex’s possible whereabouts. Without turning to look at Cassie, General Blade noted

“We can try to trace back the number, but it’s possible they used a burner, leading to a dead end.”  
“Exactly my thoughts. I just don’t know where to start. I still think it’s worth a shot.”

Cassie replied, to which Sonya nodded. Sonya hooked Cassie’s phone to the nearby monitors and made a few command inputs that traced the anonymous phone number’s GPS coordinates. Within seconds, the monitor displayed a topographical view of the United States and then expanded to include the globe. Several pings dotted in many areas around the world, ranging from their homeland to Chicago, San Francisco, Mexico, Nairobi in Africa, Germany, Sweden, India, and Seoul, Korea. Specialist Cage and General Blade analyzed the many pings to see if any were decoys meant to throw them off their trail. They both noticed larger pings coming from the United States, closer to the Sierra Nevada mountains in California. Sonya looked closely and noted

“If they did use a burner as I suspected, we wouldn’t be able to track them down, but here they are. Must be amateurs.”

Cassie cracked a smirk, now that she was able to pinpoint where Alex is being held captive. Cassie stood straight up, rolling her shoulders, saying

“Alright then. We can assemble a small team for extraction, and we can open up some mother/daughter can of whoop-ass on these fuckers.”  
“No.”  
Sonya’s word cut through the air. Cassie turned her head to her mother, who was still hunched over the desk and looking at the monitors. She slowly raised herself up and turned to her daughter, continuing

“I have responsibilities here and unfortunately, we can’t reallocate resources for this type of mission. I know how deeply you care for one another and if I were in your shoes, I’d want the same, too. However, our priorities, including mine, are set on far bigger threats and events on our soil and in the other realms.”

Cassie huffed at her own mother refusing to help, but couldn’t help agree that logically, she was right. Months removed from the incident with Reiko and Havik, Earthrealm’s non-aggression pact with Outworld is still rocky. The ink is more or less still fresh on the Reiko Accords and, though the Osh-Tekk is admirable and honorable, Kotal Kahn’s actions do not seem to bode well for the future of this pact. General Sonya’s, and by association the Special Forces’, full attention is on monitoring inter-realm activity, to Cassie Cage’s dismay. As Cassie looked closer at the coordinates sitting on Alex’s presumed current location, Sonya caught her attention.

“The best I can do is provide infil and exfil by land and assign just one member of your choosing.”

Cassie looked back to her mother, noticing a slight smile on her face as she continued eyeing the dossiers on her desk. Though she wanted to give her mother a hug for being able to pull some strings for her daughter, time was of the essence. Cassie had to immediately begin thinking of who would join her in rescuing Alex. 

“General.”

Cassie stood and saluted General Blade. Her mother returned the gesture and sat back down, flipping through another file as Specialist Cage unplugged her phone and started walking out of her mother’s office. Cassie opened her text messages and searched for a familiar face. She initiated a call and put it to her ear as she paced towards her break room. Once she knew the call had been picked up, she greeted

“Hey! Jacqui? I got a favor to ask of you.”


	23. Kotal Kahn has violated the Reiko Accords

The scene cuts back to the present day, in the Kuatan jungle. Various tents are set up, with Tarkatans running between them. Cassie and D'Vorah sneak into the makeshift campsite. They crouch behind some crates and barrels, while the sounds of battle between two armies are heard close by. D'Vorah leans in close to Cassie, eyeing something in the distance.

“There.”

She is looking at a large tent a few yards away from their hiding spot. Rain walks out of it, accompanied by a Tarkatan. He says something and the Tarkatan rushes off. D'Vorah sneaks out of cover and Cassie follows. Rain turns to see them both approaching, Cassie drawing her pistols and flanking him from one side, while D'Vorah approaches from the other side. Rain says to D'Vorah

“Here to surrender, traitor?”  
“You would speak of treason? This One knows you desire the throne. Why serve Mileena?”  
“I advise her. Stealing the amulet was my genius. It kills her a bit each time she uses it.”  
“As both sides diminish, you fill the void.”  
“Exactly my plan.”

While Rain is speaking, Tanya sneaks up from behind on Cassie and grabs her, and throws her some feet away from the Kytinn and Edenian demigod. Rain charges at D'Vorah with a running knee, catching her on the chin. He grabs her arm, pulls her in, and punches her in the face. She staggers back into a fighting stance. He laments 

“A shame you will not see its fruition.”

They fight. With his power over water and lightning alike, the Edenian half-god proves to be a difficult fight for D'Vorah. Nonetheless, his arrogance against her own powers and fighting prowess prove to be too much for Rain, and he is soon left unconscious at her feet. She says 

“Your schemes end here.”

During D’Vorah’s and Rain’s fight, Cassie drops both of her guns in the sneak attack as Tanya unleashes quick blow after blow. The young Special Forces soldier struggles to parry and block each attack as Tanya’s attacks mount. Cassie can’t help but think about the whereabouts of Alex. He had been missing for a few hours now. A strong kick to the jaw by Tanya’s heeled boots knocked Cassie out of her thoughts and onto the ground. Cassie groaned as she noticed one of her guns within mere feet. Tanya kicks the gun further away and steps on Cassie’s hand, leading to her screaming. D’Vorah turns to Tanya, who has now straddled Cassie and is pummeling her in the face. Cassie had been off her game as Alex had been missing. It worried her that he just vanished. As D'Vorah approaches, Tanya stops her attack, much to Cassie’s relief. D'Vorah pauses for a moment but turns toward the tent. Tanya stops her by launching a fireball, just missing her by a few inches.

“Leaving without your friend, D'Vorah?”

She stands up and walks toward her.

“Your people believe we avoided your island out of respect for your solitary nature. We just didn't like you.”  
“The Kytinn do prefer solitude - which I will achieve momentarily.”

They fight. Despite being well versed in both magic and kombat, the Edenian soon finds herself being overpowered by D'Vorah, whose control over insects proves to be the decisive factor in the fight. It's not long after that Tanya falls unconscious next to Rain.

“Now two Edenians will die.”

She approaches the two of them and extends her spider limbs from her back, but Cassie - now back on her feet, having recovered her weapons - has other ideas.

“I know you said you weren't friends, but you're not killing them. Head's fine, by the way.”

D'Vorah is clearly annoyed but retracts her limbs.

“Very well. Let us go.”

They enter the tent. Inside is a locked chest. Cassie attempts to open the lock.

“Step aside.”

D’Vorah commands Cassie, who does so. D'Vorah puts her hand to the lock. A horde of tiny insects no bigger than ants seemingly spawn from her hand and pour into the lock to devour it from the inside.

“That... is really disturbing.”

A shout from outside the tent catches their attention.

“D'Vorah!”

Mileena yells from the entrance of the tent. She stalks into the tent readying her sai towards both D’Vorah and Cassie. Cassie draws her pistol, but D'Vorah barks out an attack in the Kytinn language. Her stomach splits open at the same time, pouring out a swarm of flying insects that cloud over Mileena. Growling, she backs out of the tent, trying to fend the swarm off with her hands. D'Vorah silently motions to Cassie to stay and guard the chest, before walking out of the tent to confront Mileena.

“This One knew you would not stray far from the amulet.”  
“You took my throne. Now you wish to steal my means of reclaiming it?!”  
“Neither was meant for you!”  
“WHO ARE YOU TO SAY?! I will take something of yours - your LIFE!”

They fight. As vicious and skilled a fighter as Mileena is, even she is not a match for D'Vorah's mastery over all things insect. The battle proves to be long and brutal, but in the end, the Kytinn is victorious.

“This One will enjoy your death.”

The scene cuts to sometime later, in another tent complete with Osh-Tekk inspired decorations and a large throne styled in the same manner. Kotal Kahn steps up to the throne and sits in it. D'Vorah stands to the left of the throne, while Mileena is on her knees before them both. The battle was evidently won by Kotal's forces, as Team S-F are also present in the tent behind Mileena. Despite the importance of the surroundings, Cassie’s mind wanders through various scenarios, some going to very dark places as she begins to fear that Alex could possibly be dead. But she knows that can not be. Alex is a fighter; sometimes scrappy, but at the least persistent and strong-willed. Whether today or even next week, Alex will come back to her. Cassie’s thoughts were cut off when she heard Mileena growl

“Enough of your prattle! Finish me, so that I may join my father.”  
“You do not deserve death by an emperor's hand. Instead, I give the honor to my worthy First Minister.”

He looks over to D'Vorah, who smiles in anticipation. She strolls up to Mileena, grabs her by both cheeks, and - much to Mileena's surprise - kisses her full on the lips. However, the outside of Mileena's mouth -still framed by her Tarkatan features - shows the full story, as insects begin falling out through her enlarged teeth. D'Vorah's minions begin eating Mileena's face from inside her mouth, much to the disgust of Team S-F.

The process only takes a few seconds. By the time D'Vorah lets Mileena go, her face is already a bloody mess. She manages to scream out a last cry of pain and agony, but by then her eyes, hair, and the skin on her head is completely gone, consumed by the insects. She falls to the floor, writhing and gurgling as the insects continue to devour the flesh on her skull, even bursting through her stomach as well. A few seconds later, her body is completely still, with pools of blood rising from her head and abdomen. D'Vorah looks over to Team S-F with an eerie smile on her face before turning back to her position at Kotal's side.

“The rebellion is over.”  
“Well, thanks for that.”

Cassie says to Jacqui

“I know I'll never eat again.”

Jacqui says nothing, continuing to look just as disgusted. Cassie looks back to Kotal, Shinnok's Amulet in her hand.

“With your leave, we're gonna head back to Earthrealm. Put the amulet back where it belongs.”

Kotal motions with his right hand, which glows with a dark blue light. Team S-F suddenly find themselves restrained at the waist, with their arms pinned to their sides, by the same blue light that has surrounded them each.

“The hell are you doing?!”

Kotal stands up and walks toward her.

“Earthrealm cannot be trusted to protect the amulet. It will remain with me.”

He takes the amulet from her. Kung Jin exclaims

“The Reiko Accords require that you—"  
“The Accords no longer concern me. But you may prove useful – when Raiden comes for this.”

Kotal Kahn stopped as he eyed the whole team, then glaring at Cassie Cage. He remembers Kano’s betrayal almost a day before when he assisted Mileena in a feeble attempt to kill him and take Shinnok’s amulet. He inhaled deeply before saying

“As for your missing member, Alex...he has abandoned you. He is a Black Dragon, he can not be trusted.”

Two of Kotal's soldiers take Team S-F by the shoulders, escorting them out of the tent. Kotal looks at the amulet in his hand, and behind him D'Vorah also looks at it. A lone guard, the one in golden armor with a blue star on his chest plate, who had been present throughout this event, swiftly leaves the tent and heads to a secure location via the use of blessed fire powers he was given.

A torrent of fire flashes in a faraway war room, to the surprise of Commander Ryker, Alex, and other soldiers under Ryker’s command. 

“Commander Darkov. Kotal Kahn has violated the Reiko Accords.”


	24. The Elite

Alex was rather enjoying these lessons in Outworld fighting as well as Spartan training from his Uncle, Commander Ryker. Alex had learned a lot. Commander Ryker and this unit of guards, ten in total, were Shao Kahn’s elite guards. Each soldier here was trained in combat as well as protecting the Kahn with their lives. The interesting part, and perhaps the genius to it all was that each guard wore their original armaments as all had not been trained as Outworld Guards since their youth. Commander Ryker wore his Spartan armaments with pride as he led this unit.  
Then there is Bop. An Outworlder who is rather shorter than the average Outworlder, and physically fit but by no means strong. Despite these shortcomings, Bop possesses strange psychological abilities, able to evoke someone to make the right choice in a situation. He is stronger than he looks and has curious eyes with short and messy hair, one of the few Guardsmen trained as a guard.

There is Hailstorm. A Guardsman who was a Lin Kuei assassin. Alex had found him easy to fight and beat as his style did not defer from Grandmaster Sub-Zero’s. Though Alex was not sure he could beat the Lin Kuei Grandmaster, he was able to observe enough to find enough flaws to defeat Hailstorm. Regardless, Hailstorm’s combat prowess is nothing to scoff at and has the potential to master Kuai Liang’s style. He wondered why that was as this member of the Lin Kuei wore his hood and mask constantly and only took it off to eat and did so alone. He is six foot two, like the Lin Kuei grandmaster. He even wore his Lin Kuei battle armor.

Amun is one of the Maulers, from the far-off realm Espiera. He bore four spider legs from his back which completely retracted into spider leg tattoos on his back. He is an Arachin, one of the feared Mauler Hordes. His fierce stance, his vibrant red coloration on his legs, and his choice to be the least armored was often a wise one as he was targeted first only to cut down his foes. He was careful not to use his poison in his recent fights with Alex, as not to hurt him.

Kynder is one of those silent folk from another realm long conquered by Shao Kahn. Utilizing a pair of daggers, Kynder is the stealth expert often working with Hailstorm on the roofs dispatching any roof-bound assassins quickly and quietly. Part of his silence though was he had been captured in place of the Kahn and he had been tortured ruthlessly for days but held his silence. He had been left physically scarred from the process, a notable scar running from just beneath his left eye, down his cheek, and over his lips and his chin. He only spoke a few words here and there. His armor was leather and light, dark and plain.

Karpse appeared to be another Kytinn on the surface but he had proven otherwise with his ability to shapeshift into whomever or whatever necessary for the mission, often disguising himself as the Kahn himself as a diversion when needed. His armor was his Chitan and a layer of dark blue armor. 

Rex was a grizzled survivor of some great conflict and refused to speak of it, though was often heard calling the Cybers of old Clankers. His armor was sand stained with a faded blue strip on it.

Rattle and Ferro were apparently recent additions as they were twin demons who escaped the Netherrealm and served on the guard late into Shao Kahn’s reign but only were made elites after Reiko died and Kotal aspired to the throne. Rattle utilizes a double-handed hammer with spikes on one end while Ferro sports dual kamas, in addition to their slight pyrokinetic abilities. They wear light bronze and leather armor with red straps and lines decorating their sides. 

Alex now was seated on a stone bench alone when his uncle joined him, for once in all of this, he dropped his professional tone and in a more loving one as he noticed the engagement ring on his nephew’s hand

“So, who is the lucky individual?”  
“Cassandra Carlton, or as she’s more known as Cassie Cage.”

Alex answered, a fresh wave of worry hit him like Tremor when he was initiated into the Black Dragons. Ryker asked

“Was she in that group you were with?”  
“Yes, the Blonde-haired female with the lack of a filter.”

Ryker snorted and said 

“You should hear Ferro when he gets going, man for a demon his mouth is fouler than any corrupted Revenant.”  
“Cassie can get pretty foul herself.”

Alex said, still worried. Ryker looked at him and said 

“You're worried, aren’t you?”  
“Yes. It didn’t look good when that…I don’t know what that was.”  
“Ferra/Torr.”

Ryker said. Alex looked at him before he explained

“Some sort of symbiotic rider and mount race. They have served Shao Kahn for years. Ferra/Torr is no different.”  
“Ah.”

Ryker put a hand on Alex and said 

“Anipsiós, relax I am sure your team is fine. They seem capable. And Kotal is not an unreasonable Kahn.”

A torrent of fire in which he returns frightens Alex as it suddenly appears, and reveals the other guard from earlier, the guard bows to Commander Ryker and quickly says

“Commander Darkov. Kotal Kahn has violated the Reiko Accords.”  
“What? How? Speak Corporal Brand.”

Corporal Brand nods before he responds

“The Earthrealm diplomatic team was successful in helping Kotal Kahn recover Shinnok’s amulet and capture Mileena. Mileena has been executed. As the Earthrealmers were about to leave peacefully and return the Amulet of Shinnok back to Earthrealm for safekeeping, Kotal took them, prisoner, taking the Amulet himself. They have been taken to a ship on the Sea of Souls. I could not intervene as I would have been outmatched and outmanned. I came here as soon as I could.”  
“Indeed Corporal. Good work and thank you, You're dismissed.”  
“Sir!”

The corporal said before nodding to Alex and leaving. Alex’s heart shattered hearing those words before he said 

“Uncle, I am sorry, but I have to go save them.”  
“I know, anipsiós. Do not worry, I have a plan and we can help.”  
“You do?”  
“Indeed, however, it does involve you cooperating and being restrained again.”  
“Whatever it takes to ensure my team is safe.”

Alex smirks and readies himself as Ryker nods, continuing 

“Good. Now, do you mind so much if I rough you up a bit? Make it look convincing?”  
“As long as I can get a few hits in too.”  
“I would expect nothing less from you, anipsiós.”

Ryker chuckled and ordered his men to him and Alex. Ryker and his command surrounded Alex in a circle, harkening back to his initiation into the Black Dragon. Alex simply smiled as he readied his combat stance in response to Ryker and his men doing the same. The plan had begun, everyone playing their parts to ensure Alex’s friends were safe and freed.


	25. Flashback- Rescue

Flashback- Five years ago near Californa

Cassie initiated a call and put it to her ear as she paced towards her break room. Once she knew the call had been picked up, she greeted

“Hey! Jacqui? I got a favor to ask of you.”  
“What’s up Cassie, you sound worried.”  
“Worried is only half of it.”

Cassie then proceeded to tell her best friend everything from the messages, to the horrific pictures, not in so much detail, to the small amount of help she could muster to get from her mother.

“Please Jacqui, I need your help…”  
“Cassie, I owe Alex a favor anyway, from two months ago when he had that premonition that saved you and I from the Blood Oath. Dude saved me from some PTSD I did not need.”  
“Is that a…”  
“It’s hell yes. Cass, this will sound weird, but did you check in with Kano? Weird as it is but that guy does care deeply for Alex. He’s probably having a heart attack right now wondering where Alex is.” 

Cassie frowned; she had considered asking Kano for help, but she had not been sure of his reaction to seeing Alex in such a state but the man was Alex’s guardian and deserved to know, and perhaps he could help more than her mother could have. 

“I hadn’t yet.”  
“You should. Go to him and see what happens and let me know. Keep me updated, we can meet up later.”  
“Okay.”

After a quick goodbye, Cassie hung up before she sighs as she thinks how to approach Kano and tell him that Alex had been captured. She wasn’t sure before her feet had led her away from the base back out into the open and into someone.

“Oooph. Sorry.”  
“Eh, no worries Luv.”

Cassie looks up to see Kano, worry clear on his face. She asks him

“Looking for Alex?”  
“Yah. He didn’t report for a mission and that is very unlike him. He’s always on time if not early for missions. Alex ain’t like that. Came over here to look for him, see how he is. Got this bugger on me.” 

Kano points at an armed security officer behind him escorting the Black Dragon member around the Special Forces base. Cassie clears her throat, thinking how to properly talk to Kano, of all people, about their predicament. The situation was grave enough, but this is Kano in front of her. As the tall, muscular Australian eyed her down, Cassie had to make up her mind.

“We need to talk.”

Cassie gave clearance to Kano’s escorting officer, who in turn saluted and walked away. Kano lightly chuckled as she turned to face Cassie, who remained stone-faced. Kano furrowed his brow and quickly noticed that this isn’t like her. Even in tough situations, she’s usually doing what she could to make light of it all. But this is much different. Kano deeply inhaled and inquired

“Alex is in trouble, ain’t he?”

Though she withheld certain details from her friend Jacqui, Cassie knew that as Alex’s guardian, Kano had to know everything. After some minutes of debriefing, Kano grimaced, but deeply exhaled and spoke

“Let’s go. Now.”

Kano moved past Cassie and headed towards the garage where Cassie had planned to assign infil and exfil, using land vehicles to maintain as less visibility as possible. Cassie phoned Jacqui to rendezvous with her and Kano to the garage, packing up numerous weapons and communication devices. Though Cassie felt her spirits lifted by her best friend and one of the best people for the job having her back, her mind was clouded by the darkest of scenarios for Alex. She wanted him back home safely, in her arms, but for the first time since joining the Special Forces, she was scared. She knew how tough Alex is, but even then, the pictures flashed in her mind so vividly and she can’t help thinking they’d all go through the trouble just to come upon Alex dead. No. That is not true. That will not happen. Alex will come back to her.

Hours passed as Cassie, Kano, and Jacqui drove through the terrain of the Sierra Nevada mountains when they came upon a large, metal bunker stuck deep into a carved crevice in the wall. The door was lit by surrounding torches that dimly lit a large beastly insignia, one which Kano despised -- the mark of the Red Dragon. Despite Kano’s protests to go in guns blazing, the other two smartly opted to infiltrate by stealth. Rescuing Alex is a simple extraction after all. Cassie kept herself calm and collected as she used a GPS sensor to track the burner phone the Red Dragon seemingly forgot to throw away. The location pinpointed deep into the bunker and higher up the mountainside, avoiding tripping any alarms and being sighted by patrolling Red Dragon clan members. Surprisingly Kano kept his cool and didn’t kill any they came across. The GPS tracker brought them upon a locked metal door with no windows or slits, the coordinates of the burner phone right behind the door. Kano lasered the lock off and kicked the door down.

There he was, as the pictures sent to Cassie showed; Alex’s arms tied above his head, scarred, bloodied, stripped naked, his legs tied and spread apart to give a good look at his exposed genitals. The room was nearly pitch black except for where Alex stood. Tearing up, Cassie, extremely relieved to see him, rushed over and began untying and breaking off Alex’s bonds while Kano slowly caught up, and Jacqui on the lookout outside. Kano stopped in his tracks when his metal eye began beeping, as the room suddenly lit up, exposing a squad of eight Red Dragon clan members armed with weapons, some with guns pointed at Cassie, Alex, and Kano.

Two of them stepped forward to confront Cassie and Kano. One, pale, wearing a long, red scarf around his neck and face, who looked rather young, with a chain whip, similar to Grandmaster Hanzo’s kunai, and wearing light metal armor over classic shinobi attire twirled his weapon tauntingly at Cassie, forcing her to step back away from Alex. The other, a dark-complexioned woman wearing a skin-tight black bodysuit outfitted with wrappers and built-in padding, conjured blue fire and concentrated into daggers, pointing one into Alex’s neck. Two other armed guards step closer towards Kano, stripping him of his bowie knives. Kano grunted and remarked

“Jed...Maya...had to be you two fuckers, eh?”

Kano spoke to Cassie 

“These two had a run-in with Alex a short while after he started as a Black Dragon. They almost killed him, but he managed to kill Maya’s girl and get away. Seems like you two ain’t forget, huh?”

“Shut the fuck up, one eye, before I take that other eye of yours!”

Maya retorted. She turned to Cassie, who was being restrained by Jed, and taunted

“And you, you fucking bitch! That freak Alex killed my beloved, so I’m going to kill you in front of him! AS for Kano’s, he’s coming with us. Daegon’s got some words for him.”

Maya nodded to Jed, who returned the gesture and gave the order for the armed guards to execute Cassie. The Red Dragon guards cocked their guns and took aim at Cassie, Alex limping himself in front of her.

A flashbang was thrown in and blinded everyone with a large, stunning flash of white. Jacqui rushed in and shot the two guards who had taken aim at Cassie. Kano took advantage of the confusion and elbowed both of the guards who had surrounded him. He grabbed one of his knives off the groggy guard and proceeded to stab him in the guts. Using the same knife, Kano whipped around and threw it into the other guard’s face, killing him. The last of the two guards swung their blades towards Jacqui, who was able to dodge each attack. Jacqui parried a few other sword swings before pushing her left gauntlet into the mouth of one of the guards and letting loose a shotgun-type blast that exploded the man’s head into pieces. The other guard grunted as he lunged with a stab at Jacqui’s abdomen, who deflected the sword aside with her right gauntlet and shot again, killing the last of the henchmen.

Cassie and Alex watched as Jed left them and began fighting Kano, wielding his chain whip in a manner that nearly echoed Hanzo Hasashi’s technique. Jed whipped his chain in circular patterns in an impressive manner, to which Kano effortless dodge rolled out of the way. Jed swung the knife end back and kicked it towards Kano, which embedded itself into Kano’s chest. Jed smirked under his mask as he pulled it back, pulling Kano towards the Red Dragon shinobi’s flying fist, flooring the Black Dragon. Jacqui ran in to assist Kano, but despite the numbers game, Jed was able to keep Jacqui at bay, deflecting Jacqui’s gauntlet bullets while quickly twirling his chain whip around until Jacqui ran out of ammunition. Jacqui huffed as she readied a kickboxing stance and steadily ducked and weaved around Jed’s chain whip swings. Jed retracts his whip and wraps it around his right forearm, catching the knife at the end in his hand to use as a dagger. Jed and Jacqui exchange blows, blocks, and counters until Jed landed a twisting elbow into Jacqui’s nose, sending her staggering. Jed grabs Jacqui’s wrist and twists her around into a crushing wristlock lariat, sending the Special Forces member flat onto her back, knocked out.

At the same time, Maya engulfed her fists in flames as she stalked Cassie and Alex. Even with her hands tied, Cassie was struggling to keep Alex on his feet as Maya instantly rushed the two. Cassie dodged effortlessly, actively avoiding suffering any serious burns from Maya’s blue flames. Cassie threw a kick into Maya’s kneecap, following it up with a knee into her jaw as she bent over. Maya shouted expletives as she was sent reeling. She growled as she grew the flames larger and threw a ring of fire towards Cassie, who used the flames to burn the ropes that tied her hands together, but unfortunately injured her hands severely in the process. Cassie screamed in pain as she waved her hands to take the heat off. Alex growled as he desperately tried to keep himself standing by leaning against a nearby wall. Maya lunged forward with a kick at Cassie, who countered by sweeping the Red Dragon pyrokinetic off her feet. Further angered, Maya sat up and threw a focused fire blast that knocked Cassie into the cavern walls, knocking her unconscious. Maya conjured a concentrated blade of fire and stepped towards a fallen Cassie, intent on killing her as she flashed a devious smile at Alex, still kneeling in pain. Maya turned her attention back to Cassie, who placed her heel on Cassie’s neck, slowly applying pressure. Cassie quietly groaned as she opened her eyes to see Maya standing over her and she desperately tried to remove Maya’s heel off her neck.

“Say goodbye, you bi--”

Maya was struck behind and slammed into the cavern walls by Alex, overcome by adrenaline and a sense of rage. The tall Outworlder grabbed Maya by the head and neck and repeatedly bashed her head against the wall. Maya screamed in pain as Alex stopped and held her in a chokehold and held her until she stopped moving, killing her.. Alex flung her body off to the side and relented when he knelt down beside Cassie. He gently shook her shoulders, brushing her hair out of her face to get a clear view of his angel on the battlefield. She came to, and Alex teared up, quickly embracing her. She groaned, still in pain, but returned the full embrace. A voice interrupted

“You’re mine now, you freak!”

Alex was hit in the shoulder with Jed’s chain knife and yanked towards a bloodied, yet standing Jed. Kano and Jacqui lay knocked behind the Red Dragon shinobi. Alex fell onto his knees in front of Jed as he reeled his chain whip around his arm and raised it above his head.

“For Maya. Her girl. And for the Red Dragon!”  
“Eat my shit!”

Cassie lunged forward and tackled Jed off his feet. Cassie and Jed for control of the chain knife. Though Cassie was still injured, she managed enough strength for Alex to get on his feet. Jed elbowed Cassie off of him and uppercutted her, much to Alex’s anger. The Black Dragon teenager stomped towards Jed; the mere sight of a bare naked, seven-foot muscular brute charging at him had suddenly stopped Jed from reacting as for once in his life, he felt genuine fear. Jed was snapped out of his trance when Alex threw a massive right haymaker in Jed’s face, severely unhinging his jaw and sending him sprawling several yards away. Alex knelt down as the adrenaline began to wear off, heavily breathing to calm his heart rate. Cassie caught up to Alex, putting her hand on his head and running her fingers through his bloody, greasy raven black hair. Kano and Jacqui had also come to by then. Jacqui and Cassie put their arms around one another and Kano helped Alex to his feet and gave him a punch on the arm. Kano, wiping blood off of his mouth, simply uttered

“Right, lovebirds, let’s get outta here before more of them show up, huh? And Alex... we got you a set of clothes. Can't have you return home with your cock out, don’t we?”


	26. Rescue

The scene cuts to what appears to be a brig on the lower decks of a docked ship. Inside each of the cells are Team S-F. Jacqui examines her cell, looking for a way out. Cassie tries forcing the door of her cell open to no success. Kung Jin meditates. Takeda sits on the bench in his cell, one hand on his temple.

“So what'chu guys think? They gonna kill us?”  
“They would've done it by now.”  
“Unless Kotal Kahn's planning on having us as "guests" at the Koliseum.”

Cassie rattles the bars on the cell door, to no avail. She sighs in frustration.

“Well, if they don't kill us, my mother will. Me, at least.”  
“Tough being the general's daughter?”  
“You have no idea.”  
“I do. My great-whatever grandfather took down Shang Tsung. Saved Earthrealm. How often do you think that comes up at family gatherings?”  
“That was six hundred years ago.”  
“And yet you'd think it happened yesterday.”  
“No pressure there.”  
“I've trained all my life... can fight my way out of, nearly, anything... but I still feel like a second-rate Cage.”  
“At least you grew up with people expecting things from you.”  
“I thought you and your dad were best friends?”

He gets up and walks toward the cell door, leaning on the bars.

“Now. He was a no-show for a long time.”  
“I can relate.”  
“What was that like growing up? Having an ex-revenant father?”  
“Jin!”  
“No, I'm asking! Couldn't have been easy.”  
“...He was just a BIT over-protective. When I joined S-F, Mister Cage insisted on being the one to tell my dad. He thought it'd go over smoother.”

Cassie chuckles at this.

“I'll never forget that day. My dad came home with a broken jaw.”

They all share brief chuckles at that comment. After a moment's silence, they hear footsteps from above deck. A silhouette appears at the hatch of the deck, and the sound of keys jingling is unmistakable. The guard who was about to walk down falls as if kicked. The four kids are shocked as a guard with short messy hair soon strolled in, fished the keys from the guard, and quickly unlocked their cells. Takeda couldn’t get a read on this guard who simply said

“There is not much time before Kotal’s troops arrive. We need to move.”

Kung Jin growled 

“How can we trust you?”

Before he could answer a familiar voice called out from above deck

“He’s with me guys.”  
“Alex?!”

Cassie exclaimed. A familiar seven-foot silhouette descended into the brig, a smile on his face, which had some bruising, but otherwise unharmed. She threw her arms around him once he was in arms reach of her, shaking violently, relieved that he was safe. She felt his tense muscles relax as well as relief washed over him as well. He then said

“Like Major Bop said we don’t have much time, we need to move.”

Cassie nodded before Kung Jin asked simply of him

“Can they be trusted? They are HIS elite guards after all.”  
“Yes Jin, they can be.”

Kung Jin nodded. He had his reservations, but Alex was safe, and that is what mattered. The six of them ascended to the deck to the scent of fresh salty air. Alex looked worried as Kotal’s guards had arrived. Commander Ryker looked to Alex and said

“Go anipsiós, we will hold the line. Get out of here.”  
“But theíos…”  
“That is an order, Soldier. Just stay alive anipsiós. We’ll meet again”

Ryker said, pushing a pristine shield into Alex’s hands. With parting words, Commander Ryker continued 

“I TAN I EPI TAS.” 

Ryker then turned back saying to his fellow guards

“Men, Eat Well, for Tonight We Dine in Hades”

With a roar of passion, the ten elite guards attacked the battalion of twenty, allowing Alex and Team SF to escape. The scene cuts to the Kuatan jungle, where Team S-F have now reached. Takeda is speaking to Kenshi through his communicator.

“We're all in one piece. No one seems to be tailing us.”  
“Have you been able to determine where D'Vorah was headed?”  
“We think she's headed for the Sea of Blood.”

Another voice is heard over the communicator.

“Damn!”  
“Dad?”  
“She's coming here. To Quan Chi. There's a secret portal near the Sea of Blood. Quan Chi had it built when we were gettin' ready to invade Outworld.”

Cassie comments

“Great.”

Jacqui asks

“Dad, what are you doing? Why are you in the Netherrealm?”  
“Well, now who's being overprotective?”  
“I know you think you have things to make up for, but—"  
“I'm doing this for Sonya. She's family.”  
“That's why I'm worried.”  
“I'll be fine. You stay safe, y'hear?”  
“You stay safe too. I love you. Briggs out.”  
“Briggs out.”

Jacqui sighed. Now it was her turn to worry. Alex stood resting on his shield. He was thinking about the best course of action. Kung Jin walked up to him and asked

“Hey, you ok? Cassie was really worried about you.”  
“Yeah, just learned some more things about myself.”  
“Like?”

Alex sighed before admitting

“I am half Outworlder.”  
“Well no offense Alex, it’s kind of obvious. Your skin and eyes gave it away for me.”

Kung Jin admitted. Alex sighed before saying

“I-I just don’t know who I am anymore. ”  
“You are Alexander Valkyrie Darkov. Nobody can take that away from you, not even a god. This information may be new and scary to you, but it’s always been a fact about you. You just have to incorporate this new info in with the old.”

Alex looked at the monk and smiled before he faced everyone else 

“Look everyone, I can see we have started to gel as a team. I won’t lie, the odds are stacked against us, but that’s where legends are born. Are you with me?”  
“Hell yes!”

With a resounding cry from his team, Cassie nodded, acquiescing to Alex as he said 

“It is not wise to be chasing after D’Vorah. Besides that, Kotal Kahn seeing us with D’Vorah will give him the wrong impressions, more so than he already does. So, we need a plan. I think our best bet is to get back to base. Regroup and determine our course of action from there.”


	27. Kano and Sonya

Kano sat restrained in the brig, silent after Sonya had questioned him relentlessly about his involvement in this conflict with Outworld. He had always been a man of anarchy. Yet Sonya stung him hard by telling him Alex was angry with him, damning him to the Netherrealm and demanding to confront him directly. Kano shamefully hung his head, realizing some of that anger Sonya gave him was Alex’s.

Alex had always been a great kid. He had his moments, like that one time they attempted to give him the most normal childhood as a Black Dragon criminal could provide by sending him to public school. Really bad mistake as Alex sent a kid to the hospital for bullying him. Kano had been furious with the five-year-old at the time until a few days later the kid’s father had slipped in one night and harmed Alex in his sleep. Kano had been awoken to screams that weren’t any of his dragons or Alex. He had found the intruder pinned to the wall by his hand with one of Kano’s knives. Alex was pale and shaking, his clothes disheveled. Kano ushered the kid to one of the other dragons and took care of the intruder.

Kano sighed as the memory faded and Sonya came up to him. Though her face was pissed, he could tell traces of the old Sonya he knew was coming back. She pulled a chair up to sit in front of him and said

“We need to talk, Kano. About a lot of things. Mostly about you and me, and Alex and Cassie.”

Kano silently agreed, his eyes still glued to the floor. Alex meant everything to him now and he hadn’t wanted to acknowledge it before. Sonya sighed and asked

“You really didn’t kill Damiano out of malice did you?”  
“No. I did it because he hurt you. Now whether he meant to or not is different but we won’t know now, will we.”

Kano said as he lifted his head to meet Sonya’s eyes, watching Sonya carefully. He wasn’t trying to criticize her or anything, just trying to talk. Sonya nodded before she said

“I heard your promise. Do you really, truly still love me? Even when I couldn’t remember our childhood together? Think about your answer Kano.”

Kano paused and thought about his answer. as the minutes ticked passed he arrived at his answer. His good eye softened as did his face, as he said 

“Always have, always will. I stayed in shadow but helped you out when you needed it.”

Sonya froze, every time things got rough for her, there would be support in some fashion for her. When pregnant with Cassie, she had gotten assistance from anonymous sources and could never figure out why. When she and Johnny divorced when Cassie was eight, despite not getting full custody due to her job, she got support.

“You...You have been there along?!”  
“Yeah. Even when you got Cassie for middle school and high school.”

Sonya was shocked. She had at first thought Johnny was being dutiful and paying the child support as she had for two years. But that had not been true as she learned. Now here was her answer, Kano was being supportive to her, despite her forgetting their shared childhood and how she was constantly after him for his criminal behavior. She let a smile hit and tears fall from her face as she did what she would normally never do, she let Kano go. Rather than strike her or walk away, he pulled her onto his lap and simply held her, let her vent her feelings. After a bit, she calmed down and said

“That was really unprofessional of me.”  
“So? You really need to let yourself be human luv.”

She giggled at him. He smiled and said

“That’s better luv. Look, I know this ain't no quick fix. But I swear to you I will fix the mistakes I made.”  
“I know. You should start with Alex.”

Kano nodded sighing before saying

“I may have destroyed any trust he had in me.”  
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean you can’t work to regain his trust.”

Sonya said in that familiar soft tone. Kano nodded before he noticed something was off. Sensing his anxiety, Sonya readied herself as well and the two were shocked to find SF soldiers being taken down by Shirai-Ryu shinobi. Kano in a low voice asked 

“What the hell? I thought ol’ ghosty was a good guy.”  
“I don’t know why Grandmaster Hasashi’s men are here. We need to find him before things go to hell.”

Kano nodded. The two snuck through the halls avoiding the Shinobi when they reached where they held Quan Chi. Sonya was surprised as they began surrounding the holding cell. She looked at Kano and said 

“Kano, go and try to warn the kids, I get the feeling they are on their way back.”  
“You sure you can handle Scorpion alone?”  
“Yes, now please go!”

Kano hesitated, before reluctantly heading off. General Blade marched out to the outside amid the refugee camp. She looked around and saw Grandmaster Hasashi. Sonya walked over to confront the Shirai Ryu Grandmaster, who in turn noticed the Special Forces General

“General.”  
“Grandmaster Hasashi. I hadn't received word you were coming.”

Behind Sonya, several of her soldiers walk closer to the two of them, guns idle in their hands.

“I will have Quan Chi.”  
“We have things under control. You can--”  
“He must die.”  
“Raiden needs him. Without Quan Chi, we can't restore Liu Kang and the other revenants. You'd leave them trapped? Like you were?”  
“Only Quan Chi concerns me.”

He motions to walk past her. Sonya puts a hand on his shoulder.

“Don't do this, Hanzo. I'll put you down.”  
“Then we are at an impasse.”

He holds up two fingers and calls out a command to attack in Japanese. The Shirai Ryu ninjas charge out from behind cover and engage the soldiers. Hanzo bats away Sonya's hand and punches her in the face. He blocks her attacks but takes a roundhouse kick to the face. He retaliates with a right cross that strikes her across the cheek.

“Quan Chi is mine.”

They fight. Despite no longer being a wraith, Hanzo is still capable of tapping into his hellish powers, and he brings these to full bear against the General of the Special Forces. Combined with his own fighting skill and prowess, it isn't long before Sonya is overwhelmed and knocked unconscious.

“I wish you no harm, General Blade.”


	28. Team SF Assemble

Sonya begins to awaken. Team S-F arrives through a portal of their own as she tries to sit up. Cassie, Alex, Jacqui, Takeda, and Kung Jin all see the attack here on the base. They spot Kano tending to Sonya and Cassie says, more at the fact her mother is injured than Kano touching her, though a slight thought of disgust crossed her mind

“Oh, shit!”

She rushes over to Sonya, with Alex close beside her, while Takeda and Jacqui rushes to Scorpion and Kung Jin runs to Kenshi. Cassie cries to her mother 

“Mom!”

She takes Sonya by the shoulders, noticing her father isn’t here, her fear raising as it had for Alex as she asks, almost afraid of the answer

“Where's Dad?”  
“Shinnok...”  
“Mom, mom, where'd they go?”

Sonya passes out again, and Kano tenderly holds her, refusing to move from his old friend. He made mistakes and now he’s trying to make up for them. Alex looks at him, his eyes convey his anger, but there is also a pearl of quiet wisdom as well, that Shinnok must be dealt with first. Cassie cries worried scared that she is losing her family, Alex’s hand gently on her shoulder for support and comfort

“Mom?!”

It is Hanzo Hasashi who answers her, his voice grim, and defeated as if he is lamenting a mistake he made

“Your father... Shinnok's prisoner... at the Sky Temple.”

Cassie’s mouth was wide open. Things had gotten dire and like before, Team S-F were on their own, the stakes higher than ever. Cassie turns to face her team, who look just as worried and perhaps helpless as her. Cassie quickly calls over any standing Special Forces to bring General Blade, Kenshi, and Grandmaster Hanzo Hasashi to get medical aid. She walks over to her team and reassures them

“It’s time to live up to our legacies. Shinnok is back and we need to head to the Sky Temple as soon as possible. Jacqui, Kung Jin, help me gather supplies. Alex and Takeda? See if we can get some more intel from Hanzo, Kenshi, and my mother.”

They all nodded and tended to their given assignments. Right as Cassie, Kung Jin, and Jacqui run inside a tent, Alex helped Kenshi and General Blade onto some seats when he hears Takeda’s voice rise

“YOU DID WHAT?”

Alex turned and walked overseeing Takeda losing his cool and holding his own grandmaster by the collar. Not one of his brethren stopped him as Takeda raised a fist, eyeing down a remorseful Hanzo. Takeda gritted his teeth and opted to toss Hanzo, right into Alex who caught the grandmaster and in an almost ballroom dance move maneuvered himself in front of the former hellspawn and caught Takeda’s whip blade, his hand becoming severely injured as a result.

“Alex, let go you’re getting hurt, look at your hand!”  
“Will you calm down?”

Takeda paused, breathed, and then said

“Yes.”

Alex let go as Takeda winded the whip back into his suit. A medic soon arrived and wrapped Alex’s injured hand. Alex turned to Takeda and asked

“Takeda-san, what made you angry?”  
“Grandmaster Hasashi killed Quan Chi, now we can’t save any of the Revenants.”

Alex turned to Hanzo and calmly asked

“Is this true grandmaster, that you murdered Quan Chi?”

Hanzo nodded and expected Alex to be just as angry as Takeda but when Alex made no move to strike him, he was surprised. Alex eyed him carefully before saying

“We cannot be fighting each other; we must save this strength and fire for Shinnok and his army.”

Takeda breathed in and out. Alex was right, now was not the time to be angry. The young Shinobi went back to preparing for the mission ahead. Alex helped his fiancée, and his other two teammates prepare for the mission. Alex himself opts to change into his more regular mission attire, rugged jeans, a white T-shirt, steel toed boots, and a long leather duster. Like any sane Black Dragon, he was armed to the teeth with weapons though what one could see was his hook swords. He looked at Kano who gave a weak smile 

“You ok Kid?”  
“No, I am scared and angry.”  
“Then focus that anger at your goal kid.”

Kano said calmly before he added

“I’ll stay here and help tend to the injured.”

Alex looks around the desperate scene around him. Their superiors are down, and the fate of the world looks dark. It is time for the next generation to step up; like his teammates and peers around him, Alex has a legacy to carry on as well. He bangs the shield his uncle Commander Ryker gave him and exclaimed

“Listen to me... Shinnok is back but is weak without his trusted sorcerer. Now is the time to attack! We will take his entire kingdom... by force! We need to act fast. The fat of the world rests on us.”

Something in what Alex said made Cassie blush and shake her head sighing, Takeda actually laughed cause he knew the reference, Jacqui rallied but also realized that was way out of the left field, and Kung Jin was very stunned as to him Alex sounded very much like Shao Kahn. Kano smirked. He knew soon he’d have to tell Alex the full truth as to who he is, but he knows, just knows, wherever Shao Kahn is, he sees this moment and is proud of his son for stepping into not just a leader’s role but the role of the warlord. Kung Jin asked

“What the fuck was that?”

Cassie groaned 

“Don’t mind him, Lion King Two Simba’s Pride is his favorite movie.”  
“It is not, It's one of my favorite movies.”

Alex replied before he said

“Still the statement still stands, it is up to us. WE can do this.” 

With the renewed vigor, the kids work on prepping for this new mission getting as much info as they need. When they were ready, they set off to the unknown and without knowing if they would succeed or if they would come back, but they would have to try. Alex shook his head, no they had to succeed, they had to come home.


	29. Forest Battle pt.1

The scene cuts to Team S-F at the cockpit of their plane, currently in the air and heading towards the Sky Temple. Jacqui and Takeda are in the pilot's seats, with Cassie and Jin at the computer screens just behind them. Alex is seated just a bit back from them glaring as he chose his most comfortable attire, arming himself to the teeth with weapons as any sane Black Dragon would do. He was focused with steely determination, as Cassie spoke he tuned his ears to listen

“We land in fifteen minutes. We'll enter the Sky Temple from the terrestrial entrance.”

Takeda questioned puzzled and Kung Jin answered

“Why not go straight there?”  
“It exists in a different quantum state, slightly out of phase from our reality. It can't be reached by conventional means.”

Takeda breaths out a heavy sigh, which Jacqui notices she asks

“What?”  
“It's just us five. No one's coming to help. We either pull this off or--”

Cassie interrupted his dark thoughts

“We WILL get it done.”

Warning buzzers sound off through the plane. Before the plane looms the clouds that have been corrupted by the Jinsei. Cassie and Jin get out of their seats for a closer look, Alex who can see fine from where he sits feels dread and hears Kung Jin start

“By the... what is that?!”

Takeda gulps

“Dunno. But it's headed right for us.”  
“Elder Gods have mercy.”

As the cloud looms closer, it produces turbulence that rocks the plane, which jolts everyone a bit, and Jacqui orders

“Buckle up, people! I gotta put her down.”

Cassie and Jin race back to their seats. The scene cuts to the forest near the temple. Jacqui has landed the plane without crashing, and Team S-F have exited without issue. The corrupted light from the clouds above them has given the forest a distinctly red hue. Alex’s ever-watchful gaze is on high alert, Jacqui says 

“Looks like the temple entrance is fifteen clicks that way.”

She points off to the distance, Takeda smiles a moment saying

“A moonlight walk in the woods. Another time, it'd be relaxing.”  
“I wouldn't have pegged you for outdoorsy.”  
“My mother and I lived near a forest a lot like this. Really takes me back.”

Jacqui smiles at this - it's quite clear she's warming up to Takeda's charm she says

“After we wrap this up, we should go.”

He looks at her and smiles back. They spend a moment staring warmly at one another, before looking over to Cassie and Jin standing on one of the plane wings, repairing the motor. Cassie slams down her tools in frustration. Alex smirks as he hears

“Fuck me! We're grounded. That shockwave fried the leads.”

Jacqui sighs

“Then let's get going. We're almost outta time.”  
“Um we are out of time”

Alex points out as a portal opens behind them. Kotal Kahn emerges, flanked by Erron Black, Ermac, Ferra/Torr, Reptile, and several of his soldiers. Kung Jin asks

“What are they doing here?”  
“Looking for the amulet, I bet.”  
“We must tell them about Shinnok. Call a truce.”

Kotal spots Team S-F and does not look happy to see them, also noting this time Alex is with them. The young Black Dragon’s face surprises him as he realizes who stands with these traitors. Of course, the lost heir of Outworld. He points in their direction with his macuahuitl and addresses his soldiers.

“Bring them to me!”

His soldiers roar out battle cries and charge forward which causes the team to react

“Or not.”  
“The woods! C'mon!”

They flee. The scene cuts to Kotal's forces walking through the woods, searching for their prey. Cassie and Jacqui hide behind two large trees as the search party walks past. Alex watching from the trees having pulled this plan out of his rear end on the drop of a hat, he hears Ferra speak

“They are quiet. Sneaky.”

Kotal nods and asks

“Ermac?”  
“We sense them. But the forest teems with souls.”

Reptile speaks after the soul construct did

“Yes... So close.”

Explosions suddenly rock the forest around Kotal's forces, throwing them into disarray. Two trees fall, crushing several soldiers beneath them. Cassie chucks some grenades at the trees, Kung Jin shoots their bases with arrows and Jacqui uses her gauntlets to shoot plasma blasts at the tree bases, while Alex and Takeda watch and observe using the nature around them to pick off stragglers. The result is the trees continuing to fall on Kotal's forces.

One of Cassie's grenades lands at Reptile's feet. He notices and leaps up into the air, just narrowly avoiding the explosion. The fallen trees catch fire, giving Kotal's forces more issues to contend with. Ferra shrieks in fear at the flames. Kotal impressed only briefly says

“Divine fire and earth!”

He looks over the battlefield and spots Kung Jin shooting off arrows. Meanwhile, Reptile scurries high up a tree and spots Jacqui. She has her back to him and continues to shoot plasma bolts at Kotal's forces. Reptile smirks and says

“I see you…”

Takeda runs up to Jacqui and spots Reptile he says

“Jacqui, look out!”

His warning comes too late. Reptile leaps from the tree and lands on Jacqui, pinning her to the ground. Takeda charges towards him, but Reptile notices and spits a glob of acid onto his face. Takeda screams in agony and clasps his face in his hands as the acid burns into it, Alex growls but is preoccupied as a few bullets are shot at him. He sees Erron shooting at him

“The hell Erron, yah gon mad?”  
“Ain’t nothin’ personal kid.”  
“Fucken feels personal”

The two square off in a tough fight for Alex but he gives everything he’s got to put the gunslinger on his back before he has to fight off more soldiers

Reptile turns back to Jacqui, who is still struggling in his grip. He raises one claw to smash her face in, but Jacqui rallies and punches him in the chest. She follows up with a headbutt and throws Reptile off her. They both rise to their feet.

“You hurt him, you answer to me!”

They fight. While the Zaterrean's speed and fighting abilities are not trivial threats, Jacqui fights with a rage that he is unable to overcome. Utilizing her specialized gauntlets to their full potential, she unleashes a beatdown on Reptile that does not stop until he is unconscious at her feet.

“Go crawl back under your rock, Reptile.”

With Reptile down, Jacqui rushes back to Takeda, who's still trying to wipe his face with his hands.

“Stop! You need water.”

She produces an emergency hip flask.

“Lean your head back.”

He does so and she pours the water onto his face. It does the job of clearing his eyes.

“Can you see?”  
“Yeah, yeah. It's fuzzy, but--”

She pours more water on his face.

“Better?”

The scene switches to show from Takeda's perspective. The blurry visage clears up quickly into a close up of Jacqui's face.

“Beautiful.”

He paused a moment before quickly adding 

“I can see the appeal of falling in love in the heat of battle, like Cass and Alex.”

Jacqui giggled at him

“Indeed.”


	30. Forest Battle pt. 2

As the scene shifts from his perspective, their tender moment is interrupted by Ermac - levitating a considerable distance above ground level - uprooting the tree that Takeda was resting by.

“Hold that thought.”

They flee just as Ermac brings the tree down where they were standing. He flies after them, shooting blasts of soul energy as Takeda and Jacqui dodge as best they can. After a while, it seems like they manage to outrun him - but then they come face to face with Kotal Kahn and his soldiers. Ermac soon floats into view behind them.

“Lady's choice.”  
“I've got Ermac.”

As Takeda rushes Kotal, Jacqui charges at Ermac. She shoots off a plasma bolt that hits Ermac to no effect. In response, he telekinetically lifts her into the air and slams her into a tree. She struggles to rise as Ermac floats down to ground level.

“You are the spawn of Jackson Briggs.”  
“And damn proud of it! I know what you did to him.”  
“We took your father's arms. We will take all of you.”

They fight. The battle proves to be one of the toughest of Jacqui's life, as Ermac brings the power of a thousand souls to bear against her. But hardened by resolve and the will to avenge her father's maiming, Jacqui takes the fight to the Outworld construct. After a fierce battle, she manages to emerge victorious against Ermac.

“That was for you, Dad.”

As Jacqui rushes back to where Takeda is fighting Kotal, Ferra/Torr jumps into her path. Ferra laughs and Torr roars, taking a massive swing at her with his meaty fists. Jacqui dodges two swipes and barely escapes as Torr almost pounds her into the ground. He manages to grab Jacqui and lift her into the air with both his hands around her waist.

“Squeeze, squeeze, Torr!”

Torr complies, and Jacqui's bulletproof vest begins to crunch under the strength in his hands.

“Your eyes, so bright.”

She readies the metal claws on her wrist.

“Gonna carve 'em out!”

She slowly brings the claws towards Jacqui's face. In the nick of time, Jacqui's gauntlets finish charging up. She unleashes a plasma blast that rocks Torr backward, letting her lose his grip. He doesn't fall though, and neither does Ferra.

“Trickery! Deceit!”

Jacqui shoots off a plasma bolt, but it isn't charged and doesn't faze Torr. He throws two more meaty punches that Jacqui barely avoids. She gets into a fighting stance.

“No more tricks. Just a straight-up beatdown.”

They fight. The sheer power and brutality of Ferra/Torr force Jacqui to use all of her kickboxing skills to avoid their mighty attacks. She proves to be up to the challenge, and with the help of her charged gauntlets, she lands multiple blows on the two Outworlders. After a long brawl, they eventually fall unconscious at her feet.

“Two for one. I'll take it.”

Back with the rest of Team S-F, Kung Jin blocks the sword of a charging soldier with his staff, and Cassie kicks him in the side, staggering him long enough for Jin to put an arrow through his brain. He swings his staff around just in time to parry a sword blow from another soldier trying to cut down Cassie, allowing her to kick him in the stomach and smash her knee into his face, knocking him out. 

A third soldier charges Jin, who again blocks the sword strike with his staff-bow. Cassie punches the soldier in the kidney twice and knocks him down with a right cross, and Jin swings his staff-bow around and fires an arrow straight through the head of a fourth soldier, causing him to backflip from the force.  
A couple more soldiers arrive to confront Cassie and Kung Jin, but they are flanked by the tall half-Outworlder, Alex, who readies his hook swords. The two soldiers swing their swords, but they are deflected easily by Alex, who circles around the first one and connects both hook swords to smack the second soldier with the hilt and then sweep him on his feet. The first soldier turns around and lunges towards Alex, who again deflects the attack and, in one fluid motion, sheathes both of his hook swords and takes out his shield. With a quick discus spin, Alex ducks a second swing and slams his shield against the soldier’s face and chest, knocking him out cold.

Meanwhile, Takeda is still fighting Kotal Kahn one on one. He smashes Kotal in the face with a right hand, but the Osh-Tekk kicks him in the stomach, forcing him back. Takeda holds back for a moment, allowing Kotal a chance to speak.

“We know D'Vorah is here. Where is the amulet?”  
“Kotal Kahn, the situation has changed--”  
“Do not fling your spittle at me.”

He charges at Takeda and attacks. Takeda blocks his punches but takes a kick to the chest that knocks him down. He rolls to his feet and fires off one of his whips, ensnaring Kotal by the wrist. Kotal merely takes a firm grip on the whip and pulls, whirling Takeda around him. Takeda manages to stay on his feet but is forced to retract the whip. Jacqui runs up to them both.

“You tell 'im?”  
“Not yet!”  
“He needs to kno--”  
“Busy!”

Kotal interrupted them

“I will kill you both.”  
“Shinnok's been freed. He's at Raiden's Sky Temple. He's already infected Earthrealm's life force.”

She gestures to the sky. Kotal looks up at the red clouds and realizes the truth of her words.

“The heavens boil... Earthrealm is lost!”  
“Not if we hang together!”

Kotal draws his macuahuitl from the scabbard on his back and readies it for kombat.

“I will appease Shinnok. Bring him your heads. Gain time to bolster Outworld's defenses.”

He swings the weapon at Takeda, who barely ducks in time. Kotal backhands it towards Jacqui, who blocks with her gauntlets. Kotal holsters the macuahuitl as Takeda throws a punch that he blocks before he punches him in the kidney and kicks him in the ankle, knocking him to the ground. As Takeda rises, Ferra/Torr charges straight towards him. Takeda ducks under Torr's attempted grab, but the behemoth slaps away his follow up kick.

While Takeda fights Ferra/Torr, Jacqui now goes up against Kotal Kahn alone. She deflects one of the Kahn's punches and one of his roundhouse kicks with her gauntlet and shoots off a blast of plasma that stuns him for a moment.

“You need to help us, Kotal Kahn!”  
“It is too late for Earthrealm. Shinnok is now its master.”

They fight. With both kombatants fueled with desperation for their realms, the battle proves to be a long and hard one for Jacqui. The Emperor of Outworld brings everything he has to the fight, and Jacqui only barely manages to defend against it. Calling upon her last reserves, she throws everything she has right back at Kotal Kahn and amazingly manages to defeat him.

“You should'a been with us.”

Kotal rises to his feet, growling impatiently. Erron Black steps in, flanked by soldiers, who push Alex toward Jacqui, and aims one of his revolvers right at her.

“That's enough.”

Kotal's forces slowly back Jacqui, Cassie, Alex, and Jin towards each other in a clear part of the forest. Cassie tries to shoot her pistol, but she's out of bullets. She holsters the gun and readies her fists.

“Fuck me!”  
“Right now? Sure!”  
“ALEX?!”

Ferra/Torr stomps back into the fray, with Takeda's bound body in Torr's arms. Torr lifts him up and throws him toward the clearing. He lands hard as Ferra laughs, and Jacqui helps him to his feet. Team S-F is now surrounded and have all been backed into one another, Jacqui quips

“Don't know about you guys, but I'm living the dream.”  
“You have odd dreams.”

Kotal having regained his strength quite pleased with the results says

“Chattel. You die tonight.”

He calls to his soldiers in the Outworld tongue and they begin to close in. He says nothing to Alex who stands ready with his team and says

“Then I will do so gladly. For my friends, my family, and my realm.”


	31. Sky Temple Pt.1

Ferra/Torr charged forward, with Alex throwing an arm in front of Cassie to protect her. Suddenly, the symbiotic pair are frozen solid by an ice blast. More blasts follow, freezing the soldiers who come too close to Team S-F. Sub-Zero walks into the clearing, flanked by his Lin Kuei disciples. The warriors charge into battle without hesitation, forcing Kotal's forces to engage them. Team S-F breaks free and make a run for it, stopping as Sub-Zero walks towards them.

“You stood together against formidable odds. Lesser warriors would not have fared so well.”  
“Thanks, Grandmaster.”  
“I will remain here to push Kotal Kahn back to Outworld. Proceed to the Sky Temple. Earthrealm's fate lies with you.”

Sub-Zero looked to Alex and gave him a bow of respect which surprised the young half-Outworlder. Alex returned the gesture of respect to the Lin Kuei Grandmaster. They head off as Sub-Zero walks toward the battle. The scene cuts to the Sky Temple. Team S-F creeps up behind a wall overlooking a crevice as D'Vorah speaks with Liu Kang, Kitana, and Sindel.

“Lord Shinnok is nearly finished. Soon the Jinsei's corruption will be irreversible.”  
“The invasion can then proceed. Raiden and his allies will be unable to offer resistance.”

Kung Jin missteps and some stones crumble under his feet and fall into the crevice below them. Takeda and Cassie stop Jin from falling. Alex and Jacqui look back toward Takeda and Cassie before watching the Revenants 

“Once the realm falls, our path to victory will be clear. Advise Lord Shinnok that the Oni and Orochi are ready. At his command, we'll unleash them on Earthrealm.”

D'Vorah nods and walks into the Sky Temple. Kung Lao and Smoke walk up to the rest of the revenants. Sindel inquires 

“Have you found Raiden's portal to the Heavens?”  
“Yes, but his wards protect it. We can't breakthrough.”

Team S-F peer over the wall at the revenants. Sindel growls

“That is unacceptable. After Earthrealm is destroyed, we must complete Lord Shinnok's vengeance; invade the Heavens and destroy the Elder Gods.”

Liu Kang says

“Come.”

The three male revenants walk off. Cassie, Takeda, Jacqui, and Jin all muse

“Make war on the Heavens?! If Shinnok can take down the Elder Gods--”  
“End of the universe. Got it.”  
“Kung Lao... to see him like this…”  
“We'll all be hangin' 'round the Netherrealm water cooler if we don't pull this off. C'mon.”

Cassie says as they follow Alex as they creep along the wall, a rock comes loose from where Takeda puts his foot. Unlike Kung Jin before him, the rest of Team S-F are unable to catch him and he falls, just barely grabbing into the crevice edge in time. Jacqui yells

“Takeda!”

She reaches her hand for Takeda to grab, as does Alex. Sindel and Kitana notice the noise. Realizing they've been spotted, Cassie motions to Jin and they spring out of cover, running forward and engaging in kombat.

Kung Jin swings his staff at Kitana as Cassie fends off Sindel's strikes. Kitana gets through Jin's staff swings, punches him in the stomach, and kicks him in the face as he bends over, staggering him. Cassie punches Sindel, who blocks two more strikes from her and sends her reeling with a punch of her own. Cassie begins to retreat as Sindel advances on her.

“Has your mother ever told you what I did to her friends? Killed them all in the blink of an eye.”  
“And your own daughter. Are you proud of that?”  
“We are bonded in death. You will join us and I will give you a proper upbringing!”

They fight. Without the magic of Shang Tsung and his consumed souls in Sindel's body, she is unable to bring up the same power and strength that killed so many of Earthrealm's warriors. That is why she finds herself unable to take down Cassie so easily and that allows the leader of Team S-F to rally and beat her down, eventually leaving her unconscious on the ground.

“Nice offer, Mommy Dearest, but I'll pass.”

Jacqui is still trying to reach down and pull Takeda up from a sticky end at the bottom of the crevice the Sky Temple rests on, as does Alex. Takeda strains to reach Alex and Jacqui’s outstretched hands. Alex encourages 

“Takeda! Give me your hand!”

Takeda suddenly loses his grip and falls... but Jacqui leans down and grabs his hand in the nick of time. Both struggle for a few moments, but eventually Jacqui, with Alex’s help, pull Takeda back up. Takeda says to both

“I owe you one.”

Jacqui pats him on the shoulder.

“I'll remember that.”

Kung Jin yells out as he is flung backward, crashing into the large gong in the temple courtyard. He passes out from the collision. His yell gets the trio's attention redrawn to the fight at hand. As Kitana moves in to finish him, Cassie calls out to her.

“Back off, princess!”  
“You think mere words can stop me?”

Kitana turns as she spots Takeda and Jacqui running toward her. The three of them surround the revenant.

“Thanks for the assist.”  
“Any time.”  
“Tick tock, ladies.”

Kitana blocks strikes from Cassie and Jacqui with her fans, kicking Cassie away at the same time she punches Jacqui backward. Takeda lands two punches across her face, but she blocks a third and counters with a roundhouse kick that staggers him. She then levitates him and Jacqui into the air with her fan-nado attack and chucks her fans into his abdomen. She follows up on Jacqui by throwing her remaining fan into her shoulder. With them both down, Kitana recalls both fans to her and twirls them around, turning to face Cassie.

“No!”  
“You wish to die first? So be it.”

They fight. Kitana proves to be a huge test for Cassie, as her speed and skill in battle matches and surpasses the young Earthrealmer. However, Cassie shows that she has tricks of her own up her sleeve, and these allow her to remain in the fight and take it to the revenant. After a fierce battle, Cassie manages to emerge victorious.

“You're not killing anyone.”

As Kung Jin pulls himself to a seated position, with Alex’s help, Cassie rushes over to Takeda.

“Help Jacqui!”

Realizing the situation is dire, Jin does as he's told for once, and Alex follows him, watching the Shaolin’s six. Cassie helps Takeda to his feet. He's favoring his abdomen, which is bloodied up from Kitana's fan.

“Messed you up bad.”  
“Ugh, great bedside manner. I can fight.”

Cassie puts his arm around her shoulder to support him. They walk over to Jin, Alex, and Jacqui, who's sitting down and favoring her shoulder. Cassie asks worriedly for her childhood friend

“Jacqui?”  
“It's nothing. Just like Kurdistan.”

Team S-F hears someone call out in Chinese. They turn to spot Liu Kang, Kung Lao, and Smoke rushing toward them.


	32. Sky Temple Pt.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And with triumph Part One Mortal Kombat X draws to a close.

Taking stock of the situation Takeda spoke

“You two go. Jacqui and I'll handle them.”

Cassie looked shocked as if she didn’t hear him right

“What?”

Takeda continued

“We'll just slow you down.”

Kung Jin said

“Forget it!”

Cassie realizes the truth in their words. She looks at them and pulls out her pistols.

“Damn it. Keep your heads down. I'll see you on the other side.”

She nods to Jin and they take off into the Temple. Alex also chose to stay behind, though he was knocked off his feet by a blur. He knew too well who that was. He focused a moment calling out

“Please Kabal. I don’t want to fight you. We may not know each other, but I respect you too much.”

The blur stopped before him, the Revenant Speedster would have looked confused if you could have seen his face. He crossed his Hook Swords in front of him, seeing the young man before him spotting the shitty Black Dragon logo on the kid’s arm and asked

“You Black Dragon?”  
“Yes.”

Kabal hesitated. He knew deep in his mind Karkas was alive. He looked at him and said 

“You know Karkas?”  
“Yes, he...he is why I know about you. He misses you.”

Kabal would have smiled but Shinnok’s influence snapped him back and he said

“Sorry kid, my brother will be disappointed that I won’t be coming home.”

The former Black Dragon Revenant and the young Black Dragon loyalist fought, their fighting styles similar yet very different as Kabal had his speed, and Alex had his chessboard-like analytics. Though Kabal had become a revenant and displayed far more aggression than before, Alex still saw his Black Dragon combat roots in his fighting style. Kabal fought with such finesse with his hookswords, but still utilized the scrappiness that reminded Alex of his nasty initiation. Soon enough, Alex was able to predict the paths of the Revenant speedster and with precise timing, Kabal had slammed into Alex’s shield with such force, knocking him out cold. Alex prevailed in the end and said

“I will bring you home, Uncle Kabal.”

His attention was then grabbed by a bullet narrowly missing his face but grazing his cheek. Head whipped back to the Revenant form of Kurtis Stryker, Kabal’s life partner. Karkas had told him about the ex-cop and that he had approved of his brother’s choice. Stryker looked furious at Alex and said

“It’s scum like you that make me sick. Your leader took Kabal from me.”

He holstered his gun and pulled his baton and said

“Now how would Kano feel if another of his own joined Lord Shinnok’s faithful?”

Alex and Styker fight, the former’s hookswords clashing with the revenant’s police batons. Alex proved to be more than the former cop could handle. Despite expertise in SWAT control, meaning Stryker could easily defeat many people at once, Alex possessed the strength of far more and made quick work. Stryker was soon on the ground beside Kabal down and out for now. 

“You are indeed worthy like Uncle Karkas said, officer.”

A shadow grabs at Alex’s leg next and he can’t shake it off as he is hit in the back of the head with a teleporting kick. Alex staggers but stays on his feet as he turns and faces down probably the second most infamous Revenant in Shinnok’s army, Noob Saibot. He gives the former Lin Kuei proper respect much to his surprise

“Why show me respect?”  
“You have always been deserving of respect.”

Alex answered as the two circled each other and fought, Alex’s time with Tremor and Hailstorm paid off. Alex was able to watch the former Bi-Han from the front for the most part as his shadow clones unsuccessfully attacked from behind and met the hard metal thud of Alex’s shield. Noob Saibot sent clone after clone, getting the best of Alex with the numbers game quite a few times, but Alex dug deep back to his Black Dragon initiation, taking on the faction’s top warriors at once. Alex also utilized Commander Ryker’s training, running circles around Noob and his shadow clones standing his ground and falling the revenant, saying

“I may have the strength to save you.”

Alex inhales deeply as he turns to see revenant Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Smoke, Kitana, and Sindel have arrived, surrounding and combating the injured Takeda and Jacqui. Alex rushes to assist his teammates but is hit with an orange, luminescent arrow in the chest, sending the tall half-Outworlder spinning and then hit square in the chest by a flying green heel enveloped in neon green light, throwing him to the ground. Alex groans as he looks up to see revenant Nightwolf, brandishing his tomahawks, and Jade, extending her staff, standing over him. Jade taunts

“You will join your friends in death and serve Shinnok in the Netherrealm!”

Jade brings up her staff, intent on slamming it down on Alex, who rolls away safely. Alex quickly gets on his feet and gets into a defensive stance as Nightwolf summons a bolt of dark crimson lightning through his tomahawks and roars as he charges Alex. He sidesteps a few tomahawk swings and is swept off his feet by Alex’s hooking of the Matoka’s ankles. Alex spins around and blocks another staff swing by Jade, who begins repeatedly slamming her pole against a steadily retreating Alex, who holds his shield high strongly against Jade’s advances. Alex finds a window in between swings and deflects Jade’s staff, throwing her off balance and sends a boot into her stomach, throwing her a few yards.  
Alex regains his stance when he’s slashed in the chest, spurting blood as he groans in pain and knocked off his feet by a flying dropkick by a silhouetted figure. As Alex rolls through the hit and stands back up, checking up on his wounded chest as he looks up to eye down Noob Saibot, who had regained consciousness. Kabal quickly arrives at his side, later joined by Stryker, who twirls both batons in his hands. Alex peeks behind him to see Jade and Nightwolf have recovered. Alex quickly glanced at Jacqui and Takeda; though having suffered serious wounds, both are managing to stand their ground against a highly ranked Lin Kuei assassin, the daughter assassin of Shao Kahn, the bride of Shao Kahn who had murdered most of Earthrealm’s heroes, a Shaolin master, and the champion of Mortal Kombat. Alex looked back at his immediate surroundings; a one-man SWAT team who defeated many Outworld warriors which included Kintaro, a highly-skilled Black Dragon speedster and Alex’s uncle figure, an Edenia assassin and second hand to Kitana, a Matokan warrior blessed with a worthy mantle by the Great Spirit, and a wraith who had single-handedly defeated many elemental gods, which included Fujin, and then outwitted the fallen Elder God Shinnok. Even if his chances seemed slim, Alex felt the drive hold his ground and fight back.  
The scene cuts to Shinnok in the Jinsei Chamber. He has now completely corrupted it with his presence. Raiden is still trapped in the skeleton hand, barely conscious. D'Vorah is with the cocooned Johnny Cage, watching as her insects slowly eat into his face.

“They taste your flesh. Burrow deep. Inside you, they will grow. Gnaw your innards.”

Johnny is still fully conscious during this horrific ordeal, groaning, but he refuses to cry out in pain. Cassie and Jin rush into the Jinsei Chamber.

“By the gods!”  
“DAD!”

D'Vorah turns around at their voices and engages them in kombat. She blocks a kick from Jin and a punch from Cassie, kicking her in the stomach and forcing her backward. She blocks a punch from Jin and extends one of her stingers, stabbing him in the chest. She coldcocks him with her fist and ducks a right hand from Cassie. Once more, D'Vorah launches her stinger, but Cassie catches the appendage. She blocks D'Vorah's strikes as best she can but is forced backward by a punch to the face.

“First father, then daughter. Will they taste the same?”

They fight. Under normal circumstances, the fighting prowess and powers of D'Vorah would have been too much for Cassie to handle alone, the latter having seen them firsthand against Rain, Tanya, and Mileena. But now the daughter of Johnny Cage fights with aggression and strength unknown to her before. She relentlessly pummels the Kytinn, not stopping until she is well and truly unconscious at her feet.

“You're the bug? I'm the windshield.”

Outside in the Sky Temple courtyard, Takeda is fending off attacks from Sindel and Kitana as best he can, while Jacqui is busy fighting off Liu Kang, Kung Lao, and Smoke. Takeda catches a break by punching Sindel backward, but Jacqui gets pummelled by Liu Kang and Smoke. Kitana lays into Takeda with some punches and Sindel hits him with a roundhouse kick as Jacqui manages to uppercut Liu Kang. Alex has to deal with some other no-name revenants keeping them from advancing.

Back in the Jinsei Chamber, the insects burrowing into Johnny's face have all died once D'Vorah fell unconscious. He looks up to find his daughter trying to free him from the cocoon.

“Hey... Punkin…”  
“I'm a little old for "Punkin".”

The cocoon proves to be tough for Cassie to open, but she still goes at it.

“No... Get... Shinnok.”  
“But--”  
“I love you.”

He falls silent and his eyes close.

“Dad?”

Before she can check if Johnny has died, Shinnok, whose appearance strongly changed and deformed into a demonic, beastly form, descends from the Jinsei onto the chamber floor itself, looking toward her.

“So you are the issue of Johnny Cage. Fitting that I exterminate his entire line.”

Cassie's fear at the sight of the fallen Elder God is quickly replaced by determination and resolve.

“You want him, you're gonna go through me.”

As Shinnok strides towards her, Cassie lets rip with several punches that he effortlessly blocks. One slips through, but it doesn't faze him. She throws a supergirl punch, but only hurts her hand when she punches his skull. Shinnok throws a light jab that almost floors Cassie before grabbing her by the throat and lifting her into the air. He throws a measured punch to her face that sends her flying across the chamber, just barely conscious.

“Yes, that's better. Watch, Miss Cage, as I rend your father's flesh.”

He summons magic into his palm and blasts Johnny square in the face with a red beam of power. This time, Johnny is unable to keep from screaming in pain. Cassie looks up and struggles to her knees as Shinnok breaks off the spell.

“This is what awaits those who defy me: excruciating, exquisite death.”

He blasts Johnny again in the face with his magic, prompting more screams from him. Cassie gets back to her feet and charges forward.

“You son of a BITCH!”

As she runs at Shinnok, the same green energy that surrounded her father twenty-five years ago envelops her as well. As Shinnok blasts her with his magic instead, she puts up her hands to block it. Like Johnny before her, the magic has no effect and she throws off the blast. She takes a moment to look at the glow on her body.

“Holy shit, it does run in the family!”  
“Your father's power will not save you. You cannot hope to survive!”

They fight. The battle is truly epic, with neither the empowered Cassie nor Shinnok getting any clear advantage for the majority of it. For what seems like an age, the daughter of Johnny Cage and the fallen Elder God fight with everything they have, but eventually Cassie Cage gains an advantage and with one final assault, she knocks Shinnok to the ground.

“You got Caged.”

As Shinnok rises, Cassie throws a knee that he blocks, but hits a kick that connects to his stomach. She follows through with a punch to his abdomen, an overhead punch to his head, a low roundhouse kick to his crotch, and a knee to his face, staggering him. With a battle cry, Cassie lands one more punch to Shinnok's face and finishes him off with a somersaulting kick that leaves the fallen Elder God knocked out for the count.

With Shinnok defeated, the green glow of power surrounding Cassie fades out. Kung Jin picks himself off the floor and walks over to her, noting that Shinnok is out like a lightbulb.

“That you? Nice.”  
“Cassandra Cage…”

Raiden is still imprisoned by the skeleton hand, which has since blackened slightly with Shinnok's defeat. Cassie and Jin run up to him.

“Put me... in the Jinsei.”  
“What?”  
“But you're-- it-- it'll kill you!”  
“Must... be... cleansed. Hurry.”

Together, Cassie and Kung Jin support Raiden and walk him onto the floating rocks leading up to the Jinsei. He floats into the corrupted Jinsei and starts chanting in Japanese. His arms charge up with lightning that envelops his body. As Cassie and Jin look on with concern, he blasts Shinnok in the chest with a lightning bolt, lifting his unconscious form into the air.

The lightning acts as a conduit, and Raiden begins to absorb the corrupted essence of Shinnok into his own body. He begins to grimace in pain but does not stop the spell. Shinnok's demonic form is eventually restored to his original self, still unconscious and now no longer holding his amulet.

With the power gone from Shinnok, Raiden cries out once more and blue essence expels itself from his body, back into the Jinsei. The chamber is completely filled with white light, so bright the entire screen whites out.

Outside of the Sky Temple, the revenants have been unable to beat Jacqui and Takeda. Everyone stops fighting as the corrupted cloud pouring out of the Jinsei Chamber dissipates, and the clouds above begin to lose their blood-red hue. A wave of white light washes over Takeda, Jacqui, soon engulfing Alex, still held in a rear-naked chokehold as Kabal and Stryker aggressively land simultaneous hits, trying to add the son of Shao Kahn to their ranks. The healing light engulfs the three revenants as a magenta-like aura spills from Alex. This excess outpour of Raiden’s purification of Earthrealm’s life force, the Jinsei, mixed with Quan Chi’s necromancy and Alex’s latent magical abilities, unleashes a flash of blue light from the four. The mixture of different types of energy and magic reverses the spell cast by Quan Chi and restores Noob Saibot, Kabal, and Stryker to full life. The undead King Liu Kang after witnessing this says

“We must withdraw.”

Jacqui and Takeda look to the sky, smiles on their faces as sunlight breaks through once again. They only notice too late that a portal opens up that takes the revenants back to the Netherrealm. Nonetheless, this does nothing to their current joyous mood. Takeda puts a hand on Jacqui, and they both walk over to the temple, sitting down near the giant statue of Raiden, completely exhausted.

“That moonlight walk... can it wait?”  
“No walks. Poolside. Umbrella drinks.”

He puts his hand on Jacqui's.

“Deal.”

They look at each other and smile, and Jacqui rests her head on Takeda's shoulder. She notices the dogpile on Alex and can’t help but giggle as it’s four grown men in a pile out cold. Takeda looks as well and notices that the figure beneath Alex bears resemblance to Grandmaster Kuai Liang. Back in the Jinsei Chamber, the lifeforce of Earthrealm is back to its regular blue hue. Cassie Cage and Kung Jin both hold Raiden up and walk him back to the chamber floor. Raiden has fallen motionless from the ordeal and they set him down as gently as they can.

“Is he alive?”  
“Barely. I'll help him. Help your father.”

Cassie runs back to Johnny, still cocooned but alive. He smiles as he spots her.

“And to think... I was worried when you started dating, especially Alex.”  
“Afraid I'd come home with someone like you?”  
“Funny, beautiful, saves the world. My work here is done.”

A voice cuts him off

“This way! In here!”

Sonya arrives in the chamber, flanked by Special Forces soldiers.

“Isolate Shinnok and D'Vorah. And get the medic!”

She runs up to Cassie and Johnny, finally looking at her ex-husband with concern.

“We'll fix you up. Help is on the way.”  
“You shoulda seen, Cass. Wiped the floor with Shinnok.”  
“I believe it. And you... you did a great job with your team, Johnny.”  
“You hear that, Cass? She called me "Johnny".”  
“I thought she might.”

As the Cage family smile at one another, the camera pans up to the Jinsei, restored to all its former glory.


	33. Trauma

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My editor is no longer on board from here out.

The road to recovery wasn’t easy. All five members of team S-F were bedridden with serious injuries. Cassie being stubborn was often found cuddled with Alex who had been found out cold after the blast with three former Revenants around him. Alex had been put through the wringer as old injuries acted up. He was aware of Cassie cuddling him constantly despite the medics trying to constantly remove her from his bed. At one point, in trying to pull her from Alex, they accidentally tore open some of Alex’s wounds causing the young Black Dragon to go into shock. Once he had been stabilized Karkas who had tracked down Kano, stuck around when both Alex and his own brother Kabal had been brought in, He had seen his brother as a Revenant, and yet here he was alive, still suffering third-degree burns, but alive, said

“Keep the two together. I know it’s against medical protocol, but we try to separate them, and their heart rate and blood pressure goes way up.”

They were unsure but Sonya had given her approval. Karkas turned back to his still comatose brother. Karkas held back tears, sighing, and stepping out of the room. He while happy to have his brother back, couldn’t help but feel worried he’d lose him again. They were close even up until his death. 

Later that night Alex awoke to soft sobbing beside him. He looked down finding Cassie beside him and his voice was soft and low as he said

“Cassie, are you ok dear?”

She looked up and hugged Alex gently, but the message was clear she was glad he was ok, that he was awake. She shook and said in an equally low voice, with a bit of grogginess to it as well

“No. I came close to losing the three most important people in my life over the past few days and It is still so scary.”  
“I know dear. Why were you crying?”

She paused snuggling into his side, which she knew drew a pleased moan from Alex’s lips. She then said in a soft and seductive voice

“I had a nightmare.”

Alex smiled softly at her and rubbed her back in a soothing manner as he said

“Shhh, dear. I am here. Cuddle close with me and rest. We both need it.” 

Cassie nodded shifting to snuggle close to Alex, careful of his injuries and her own. She was soothed by his hand rubbing her back as she traced circles with her finger on Alex’s chest. Alex stayed awake long enough for Cassie to fall asleep with her head on his chest. Alex fell asleep lulled by his best girl at his side. 

The physical therapy was intense for Alex, as he had been bedridden for a month. But he wasn’t alone. Kabal was struggling right at his side and had even encouraged the young Black Dragon to give it his all. Alex one fine day took his first unaided steps towards Cassie in a month. He looked at her in the eyes as he recalled the pain after his rescue.

-Flashback-  
He was fading in and out. His body pushed to the brink by the Red Dragon which were eight members fewer now thanks to him, Uncle Kano, Jacqui, and Cassie. Oh, how close he came to losing his sweet Cassie. It had given him the strength to kill Maya and Jed, but nowhere he was laying on a gurney being wheeled into surgery as he had sustained many injuries to his body, and now a lot of his vital organs were in failure. He was wheeled into the operating room, where the best surgeons were on hand. Cassie had let her father know and he was sparing no expense for the young man’s medical bills. He seemed to drift in the void of his mind for hours, helped to breathe on a ventilator, as his body had to rest as he was in a medically induced coma. As he started to wake, a whole month later, he felt a hand on his, rubbing circles into the back of his hand. He heard words

“…come back to me, Alex.”

His eyes opened slowly as he gazed on the beauty, that was his Cassie. Ironically his first words to her were

“Are you an Angel?”

Cassie looked first shocked, then relieved to hear his voice again, but then quickly snarked

“Ok, Annie that’s enough.”   
“A Jedi has got to try.”

Alex said before he coughed. Cassie smiled as he relaxed with a smile.

-End Flashback-

Cassie held him and asked

“I know we are about a month and a half removed from Shinnok, but…care to pick a date and get married?”

Alex smiled at her before saying

“Aside from last-minute logistics what is stopping us from doing it today or tomorrow?”  
“The logistics and you know my father; he wants to spare no expense.”  
“What do you want Cassie?”

Alex asked in a tone like Kano’s when he wanted answers. Cassie looked up at Alex and said

“To say, screw the ceremony and traditions and let’s just go to a courthouse and get married. I mean neither of us are religious.”  
“That can be arranged.” 

Alex said and Cassie smiled at him before she said 

“As much as that is what I want, you know how much that would hurt everyone we both care about.”

Alex would have spoken but Johnny having overheard the whole conversation cleared his throat, which got the young couple’s attention. Cassie looked pale as she said

“Daddy?”  
“Cassie, please. I heard the whole thing. If you really want it to be the quick route, I will be fine with that. However, let me say this, I think you two should still have the ceremony, distract from this whole debacle.”

Cassie looked at Alex and asked 

“What do you think dear, it’s just as much your big day as it is mine.”  
“Your father has a point, Cassie. We really should have a sense of normality, after all, we have been through. So do our friends and family.”

Cassie smiled hugging Alex close.


	34. Flashback- Shattered

-Flashback- two years ago-  
Alex could not understand what was going on with Cassie lately, she was distant from him, hard to reach and when they did talk, she kept things brief. Today was Cassie’s twenty-first birthday and she did not want to spend it with Alex, though she had thanked him for the card and gift he had given her. Alex sighed as he sat up in his bed rubbing sleep from his eyes as his Uncle Kano came in to check on him asking

“Eh, Alex yah ok kiddo?”  
“Not really Uncle.”  
“Yah wanna talk bout it?”

Alex sighed and said

“No. I’ll be fine.”  
“Yah sure? Yah know yah can talk to me? Ight?”  
“Yes, Uncle I know.”  
“Hard out mate. Now have a good day mate.”

Kano said warmly as Alex got up made his bed and got cleaned up and dressed for the day. Alex knew he was on protection detail upstairs in the nightclub later this evening. As much as Alex loved music, the loud music played there bugged his ears. He could hear fine it just hurt. That is why he tried to not overstimulate his ears beforehand so that the pain would be held off much longer.

Protection detail was subtly different from being a bouncer and a security guard because they catered to the public as well as their own fellow criminal element. Alex was a gentleman and protected the young women who entered the club and didn’t feel safe leaving the building alone or were too drunk to drive home. Alex often called a cab, paying out of his own pocket. Many a father would show up the next day to personally thank the young man for ensuring their little girls got home safe and sound. Alex took pride in his work as many of those women went on to great careers and the young Black Dragon soon had friends in both high and low places.

Alex shook that from his mind as he relaxed with some textbooks on military history and strategy. It was a strange fascination of his along with weapons history, but Kano did not mind passing the odd book along to Alex as it sharpened his mind. Alex was also quite a genius when it came to Cartography, the art of drawing maps, as his eidetic memory served to ensure a location was well mapped as well as the best route through the area. Speaking of the best route, Alex’s phone buzzed as his favorite song Nightmare Night by Mic the Microphone and Glaze, two brony singers in the My Little Pony Fandom, blared out reminding the young man he was due into work in fifteen minutes. He set his books aside and pulled on his uniform shirt and name badge and headed up to the nightclub where he had ten minutes to spare. His manager Fred was on tonight and smiled at his fellow co-worker and fellow Black Dragon. While Alex did outrank Fred by a long shot as a named and marked member of the Black Dragons to Fred’s grunt status, Alex still let the grunt have his role as manager while on shift. Fred’s green eyes lit up seeing Alex. He said

“Eh my man. How are you, Alex? Been a while.”

Alex nodded. Fred had been on medical leave due to a fire about a year ago, then went on personal leave to assist his wife after she gave birth to their triplet boys. Alex had not seen his manager since he had been “Hired” close to two years ago.

“I have been good Fred. How’s your leg, your wife, and your boys?”  
“That’s good. My leg is fine most days unless bad weather is a-coming. My wife is very well despite dealing with three one-year old’s crawling and gumming, thank you for asking about Rose, she will be touched to hear you asked about her. The boys are being holy terrors but what child is not like that, at one.”

Fred said fondly before asking Alex 

“How are things with you and Ms. Cage?”  
“I am unsure. She’s been distant lately and I am worried I did something wrong.”

Fred looked worried before he said

“Come talk to me after shift, we will get to the bottom of this.”  
“Yes, boss.”

Alex said as they got to work. From five at night until close to ten things were smooth, that was until one of the wait staff, Jeremy, approached Alex and said 

“Table Two, we have a code alpha.”

Alex froze, he hated hearing code Alpha. Code Alpha here in the club meant two young ladies with no ride, one or both possibly drunk, and feeling uncomfortable calling for a ride home. Alex looked at the waiter and asked

“What is the Sitrep, on the Code Alpha?”  
“Two young ladies, been in here since five. One is drunk off her ass. The other is sober but very scared and uncomfortable calling for a cab or a ride home. One is a blonde Caucasian, the other is a brunette African American, both twenty-one.”

Alex froze as he peered out towards table two, and sure enough there sat Cassie Cage, drunk off her ass, and Jacqui Briggs sober but looking around scared. Alex looked to Jeremy and said 

“Thank-You Jeremy. Boss, got a Code…Valhalla.”

The staff in this back area froze. Code Valhalla was reserved for dangerous situations pertaining to friends and family. Fred nodded and said

“I’ll punch you out Alex, just go. She needs you.”  
“Yes, boss.”

Alex, grabbing his duster and putting it on, he quickly stalked over to table two calming his demeanor as to not scare Jacqui. She looked up once she noticed him staring

“Alex?! You work here?!”  
“Yeah. So, what’s up?”

Jacqui sighed and said 

“Alex, your arrival is a mixed blessing. Do you know why Cassie has been so distant?”  
“I thought I did something wrong.”

Jacqui had a look of pity and said

“I wish it were so simple…no, her dad finally caught on to who you are and forbade Cassie from seeing you.”


	35. Wedding Plan Stress

Everyone was a flurry of emotions, all of which were the much-needed distraction from the events with Shinnok a month and a half ago, but the fact there was a wedding to be planed provided stress, but a good stress. Jacqui, Sonya, Li-Mei, being revealed as Ryker’s wife, Tasia, and Kira were all helping Cassie in some fashion or another, while Alex had Takeda, Johnny, Kano, Karkas, Kabal, Jarek, Kobra, Ryker, and surprisingly Hanzo to assist him. Alex felt much stress as he and Cassie both worked out the tiniest of details. Alex felt rather down that he knew in his heart he couldn’t uphold several Greek traditions that his mother and uncle upheld on their wedding days. It was at a point Hanzo was the brave soul to sit Alex down and talk to the young man

“Alex, you are not well. Something is bothering you.”  
“Hai, yes something is bothering me. I feel so lost. I don’t feel like I have stable roots to look back on for traditions. I feel so…blank.”

The young Black Dragon said to the older shinobi, who chuckled a moment and said

“Well did you speak with your uncle Ryker?”  
“Yes, but a fair number of the traditions are either no longer applicable or just don’t apply to me.”

Hanzo nodded having recalled some of them Ryker mentioned. Alex looked down sadly. Hanzo said 

“Well, due to certain old clan laws, you are an honorary member of the Shirai-Ryu, so thus there are two I can think of that would suit you and Cassie.”

Alex looked up as the grandmaster explained pulling out a coveted medallion, made of fine gold, and carved into the logo of the Shirai-Ryu. The yellow silk ribbon it rested on was brand new and strong as Hanzo spoke as he placed the medallion on Alex

“Kono medarion de, anata wa kachinoaru mikatadeari, kono kowai ichizoku no menbādearu koto o shōmei shimashita. Kono medarion o hokori o motte mi ni tsuke, anata no kōseki ni tsuite kenkyo ni hanashite kudasai.”

Alex bowed his head and once the medallion had been placed on his neck, he replied 

“Dōmo arigatōgozaimasu. Gurandomasutā, anata wa watashi ni keii o arawashimasu. Watashi wa anata no kettei o sonchō shi, anata o hokori ni omou tame ni saizen o tsukushimasu.”

Hanzo smiled thrilled to hear such perfect Japanese from Alex, that he asked 

“Where did you learn to speak so fluently and so much like a native?”  
“Siris actually. He’s Japanese. A former Yakuza.”

Hanzo smiled and said

“A necessary evil, the Yakuza. They through disorder, maintain order.”  
“An enigma that would confuse Havik.”

Alex said and Hanzo laughed

“Truer words have never been spoken.”

Hanzo paused before he said

“I will present Cassie with the homemade textile later. However, for now, how do you feel Ōkami no shinzō?”  
“I feel better, Tazunete itadaki arigatōgozaimasu.”  
“Dōitashimashite”

Alex couldn’t help but giggle as his nonmonic for remembering that Dōitashimashite meant your welcome flashed in his mind. Hanzo eyed him but relaxed, Takeda had been the first one comfortable enough to laugh around him, now Alex. Hanzo smiled warmly at Alex before he got up and said

“Come now Alex, there is still much for you and Cassie to plan for. It is stressful yes. But it will get better, I speak from experience.”   
Hanzo said as he fondly thought of his own wedding day

-Flashback-

“Ow, Ow Mother!”  
“Hanzo, be still. You must look your best for Harumi.”

His mother scolded her eldest son. Two other boys were near, and the exact same age as their brother Hanzo, as they were triplets. The middle triplet spoke 

“Aww, brother is turning as red as a cherry blossom, whoa, hey no fair!”

He said narrowly missing the kunai thrown in his direction by his eldest brother. Their mother huffed and said sternly

“Hanzo Sasori Hasashi and Hiro Rikai Hasashi, Elder gods so help me, I will flay you both alive. And I do not care you are getting married today Hanzo.”  
“Yes, mother.”  
“Yes, mother.”

Both young men said. Their youngest brother had kept quiet though his mother turned a stern eye to him and warned

“No funny business today Hayashi Shizuka Hasashi, are we clear?”  
“Yes, mother.”

Hayashi said very timidly which earned a smirk from Hiro and a look of pity from Hanzo. A young woman five years younger than the brothers entered carrying a wrapped bundle.

“Mother this just came for Hanzo from Mr. Aoi.”   
“Eh? Well, give it here Tsuki. Give it to your brother.”  
“Yes, mother.”

She said walking over to her brother, tripping over her own feet, before she could fall, Hanzo caught her and the package asking

“Are you ok, little sister?”  
“Yes, brother I am. Thank you.”

Hanzo smiled though his mother shook her head 

“Tsuki Hana Hasashi you clumsy girl, you could have damaged your brother’s gift. Pray this mishap does not cause him trouble.”  
“Yes, mother. I am sorry mother.”  
“Now go, before you cause any more trouble, and take Hayashi with you and make yourselves useful.”  
“Yes, mother.”

The youngest two children said scurrying out of the house like kicked dogs. Hanzo opened the package and was surprised to find a pair of twin katanas expertly fashioned by Kazutoshi Aoi. True it was not masterwork like his uncle Kokoro Taji Hasashi, but it was deemed worthy as it had Kokoro’s seal of approval on it. He stood up to allow his mother to tie the swords at his right hip and she said

“There, you are ready. Now go make me proud my son, and future grandmaster.”  
“Yes, mother.”

-End Flashback-

Hanzo smiled fondly at the memory but was keenly aware his mother had been verbally abusive to him and his three younger siblings. He looked at Alex who was much more active in planning his and Cassie’s wedding. He whispered

“Oh, Harumi. I wish you were here my flower. You would have doted on this poor boy. I just know it.”


	36. Coping

Alex tossed and turned in his sleep. The last few weeks were full of stress with planning the wedding, and out of tradition Alex and Cassie were separate from each other. Alex though was not taking it all very well. Doubt and fear plagued him despite his need to keep face with his friends and family. He had just collapsed from working himself with little sleep and barely enough to eat. Kano was worried about him as Karkas looked him over giving a good yet very grim prognosis. Alex’s drive to distract himself from the psychosocial damage from these recent events. 

Shinnok’s return and almost successful take over of Earthrealm, and Kotal Kahn’s blatant breach of the Reiko Accords had taken their toll on everyone. Li Mei and the other refugees were not keen on returning to Outworld and there was no room to accommodate five thousand refugees. Commander Ryker and his fellow guardsmen escaped Outworld and were hiding in Earthrealm after holding the line to save Alex and his team. Hanzo Hasashi had suffered disgrace for his role in killing Quan Chi thus freeing Shinnok. Johnny Cage was suffering because of D’Vorah, but the actor kept trying to shrug it off. Kano for his own part had done a small amount of time in a Special Forces Prison before being released on the account of helping Sonya out. 

What of Alex and his team? Takeda was lucky that Jacqui was quick to clean the acid out of his eyes with water otherwise, he would have gone blind like his father, but for a few months had bandages around his eyes for good measure and he felt horrid. However, it allowed him to “see” through his father’s eyes and view the world as he so often does. While his rift with his father is still there, the gap is closing. Jacqui was badly banged up by the Revenants and was suffering at night due to PTSD, which she was grateful to have her father there to hear her screaming.

Kung Jin had been disturbed by seeing Johnny Cage in a spider’s cocoon for all intents and purposes. He was also quite disturbed watching Raiden slowly become influenced by Shinnok. The thunder god who had once been so wise and caring was slowly becoming callous and cold. Twisting his goal of protection into a skewed version of it. 

Cassie had suffered the most. Alex had just vanished without a trace in Outworld, she and her team were taken prisoner, despite being reunited with Alex they had little time to catch their breath, her mother had been brutely beaten by Scorpion, her father kidnapped and almost killed by Shinnok, her team willing to give their lives for their home realm, and lastly kicking Shinnok’s butt had been a lot for the young blonde who despite her own fears was still ever worried about Alex.

Alex…Alex was dealing with a lot of shit. Kano had flat out lied to him, and yet the two were trying to reconcile though Alex was having a hard time trusting Kano after that. Alex also had learned about his mother from his uncle, that despite being human she had won an Outworlder’s heart and that he and his twin sister were the results of that. Alex mourned for the mother and sister he would never get to meet as they died the day he was born and that is how he came to live with the Black Dragon. 

Alex woke up with a scream of terror escaping his lips as his eyes darted around his room in fear. He stopped, allowing his heart rate to calm. He breathed in and out focusing his breathing to calm himself down. He then tried to recall the dream.

The sand was what he could see around himself and everywhere. He couldn’t figure it out. Why had he screamed? Oh yeah, that feeling of sinking into quicksand, and drowning as he couldn’t breathe. He looked around his room as the sun’s early rays crept in. Yeah, he was not getting back to sleep. He got up and went through his morning routine and made his way down to the main mess hall of the Black Dragon main base. He was lost in thought that he had not paid attention and bumped into someone.

“Sleep like the dead and you walk into people. Good to know.”

Alex looked at the person he had bumped into, he saw Kabal.

“I am so sorry Kabal. I didn’t mean it.”  
“It’s ok kid. Relax. You ok? You seem zoned out.”

Alex sighed and said

“Just a bad dream that’s all.”  
“You sure about that? Your Uncle did say that your mother was an oracle you could have gotten her foresight.”

Alex paused a moment looking at Kabal’s masked face the lightweight chrome mask that covered the full of his burned face yet allowed him to breathe. It had been something Alex had been tinkering with. It was lightweight and the breathing apparatus was in the mask itself. It was clever really. Alex sighed and said

“I can not be sure about it honestly. But enough of that. How is the mask working for you?”

Kabal looked at him seeing that Alex wasn’t in the mood to discuss it further. He said

“Your idea is amazing kid. Not that heavy clunky stuff from before.” 

Alex smiled and agreed to sit with Kabal as they enjoyed the breakfast this morning, which was pancakes, with all the different toppings in the world. Alex was eating like a child again which had Kano worried as he joined their table. Alex smiles as he finished eating and left the table as Karkas joined them. Karkas watched Alex walk away and said

“I am worried about him. He isn’t sleeping well or eating well. How did he seem brother? You saw him first.”  
“Honestly brother, like a zombie. Bumped into me. He apologized but looked like he zoned out. I asked him if he was ok, he mentioned a nightmare but quickly changed the subject.”

Kano looked down knowing that behavior from Alex, Karkas knew it too. Kano said

“Kabal, That behavior of his has only happened one other time…prior to the Reiko Accords.”


	37. Flashback- Havik

-Flashback Five years ago Black Dragon headquarters-  
Alex had heard the commotion that had drawn his fellow Black Dragons to the meeting area. Before Kano stood a 6’4” humanoid male that Alex had never seen before. He was strange as he looked mostly human, expect the lower part of his jaw was exposed down to the bone. Alex was unsettled by his presence and quickly moved to stand by his uncle Kano. Kano being 5’10” made him shorter than this creature before them and Alex heard an edge of fear in his uncle’s voice.

“Havik, causing chaos in the realms.”

Alex was surprised Kano asked questions not made statements and this drew his attention. Havik, the creature before both Kano and Alex, said in a silky and almost calm voice

“As I would always do. I see you added to your roster.” 

Alex was uncomfortable as Havik’s glowing blue eyes looked him up and down as if he was a tiger selecting his prey, and he was the prey. He wanted to run, but every instinct told him to wait. Kano sensing Alex’s trepidation said

“Indeed. Siris is a recent member.”  
“Do not play dumb with me Kano. I refer to the young man beside you.” 

Havik said, never losing his cool despite the agitation, moving closer to the pair. He directly addressed Alex saying

“I am Havik a cleric of chaos. Tell me your name, young one.”

Alex gulped but answered

“Alexander Valkyrie Darkov, sir.”

There appeared to be a smile on Havik’s twisted face. He replied

“In Greek, the meaning of the name Alexander is Defender of men. The name Valkyrie means Chooser of The Slain and is of Scandinavian origin. Darkov is a long and noble line from Greece, descended from King Leonidas.”

Alex was surprised if not lulled in by this knowledge, but he caught himself. He said

“You aim to deceive me.”  
“Oh, you wound me, Alexander. But you learn quickly. No one had to tell you we Chaosrealmer’s despise questions. That we hate being asked questions as we are forced to give a response' which we view as a form of control.”

Havik says to Alex. Alex nods before saying

“I have a respect for other cultures. Thus, the lack of questions.”  
“Though I am sure you have many. You seem a curious mind.”

Alex thinks carefully before saying

“I suppose there is something you hold sacred.”  
“Indeed, we Chaosrealmers worship water, considering its random, uncontrollable flow sacred and chaotic. Those who would restrict its movements are a threat.”

Alex smirked before Kano said

“I believe you seek business with the Black Dragon.”

Havik looked at Kano before smirking 

“Indeed. You have an item of great importance to me. I wish to acquire it from you.”  
“Your assumptions are as poor as your taste.”  
Havik leered at Kano and in a quick motion grabbed Alex roughly, Alex’s reaction speed was a bit off considering that he had just recently almost died at the hands of the Red Dragon and was recently medically cleared for active duty. Alex felt the Chaos Cleric hold a blade to his throat, but it was the flat of his blade, not the blade it’s self-pressed to his throat. He still in his silky voice said

“Produce the Kamidogu Dagger in your possession within three hours, or…”

Havik threatened to turn the dagger he held blade side into Alex’s throat before finishing

“…Or Alexander becomes a thrall to the Blood Oath.”

Havik then moved slowly, using Alex as a shield to escape to a room within the base. Once inside Havik smirked as he eyed Alex. He seethed the dagger and said 

“I intend to make the best of these three hours we have together. So…you will do as I say.”

Alex gulped but he was smart. That Blood oath thing scared him into submission, but he also knew any act of defiance could get his family killed. He said

“Then I am at your whim until they deliver. Wheatear is in mere minutes or the full three hours.”  
“There is a smart and brave lad. See. Considering that, I will be easy on you.”

Alex didn’t understand what Havik meant until the Chaosrealmer was just mere inches from him, and in a low commanding voice said

“Strip, completely.”  
“Yes, sir.”

Alex said and proceeded to do as ordered. He was only dressed in jeans, boxers, a t-shirt, socks, and boots which were shed rather quickly. Havik smirked circling Alex hungry. He said

“Nice, very nice. Now lay down on the bed, on your stomach.”

Alex obeyed though fear was clear on his face. Havik, stopped him a moment, gently cupping his face saying

“Relax. It won’t hurt.”

That didn’t sit well with Alex as he continued to obey. Havik, ensuring Alex’s cooperation, took the young man’s wrists and bound each to the bed’s upper posts. He then took the young man’s ankles and did the same. Alex was now spread eagle on the bed naked and he could not see what Havik was about to do to him. Alex though felt it. Havik’s strange and oddly large member rubbed against his leg, before snaking to his bum. Alex’s breathing increased, as did his heart rate. Alex breathed in harshly as he felt Havik begin to rape him from behind. He though took his time, letting Alex adjust to him, making the time pass slowly for him. Alex held it together, not letting Havik have the satisfaction of knowing that he had won. There was a swift knock just as Havik had finished in Alex. He threw a blanket over Alex and went to the door. Alex heard that Havik was satisfied as he got what he wanted. He approached Alex and undid his binds and said 

“You should dress. Quickly before they suspect anything.”

Alex not wanting to trip so close to the finish line obeyed and gathered his clothes, ducking into the bathroom for privacy. He locked the door before sinking to his knees in disgust with himself. Silent tears flowed down his face how would his family react if they knew this? Alex stopped as his vision blurred, and he blacked out for a moment before images flashed through his mind. He saw Cassie scared and in pain. He saw her then with cruel red eyes as she fought many unknown fighters. He saw Havik at the center of it all. When the visions stopped, he found himself on the ground convulsing. The convulsions stopped and he picked himself off the ground. With a renewed sense of purpose, Alex dressed once more ensuring not an article of clothing was out of place, not a hair out of place before he with determination in every step he returned to his fellow Black Dragons. 

The rape he suffered as a five-year-old had done little damage to his mind then. Now, Alex was focused and driven to protect his family from harm.


	38. Kabal

“That is disgusting!”

Kabal shouted after hearing about what happened. Jarek and Tasia, who had joined them mid-way through nodded with Jarek saying

“When he came out of that guest room, you could tell something happened in there. He was pissed but very calm about it. He called me and Tasia over.”

Tasia nodded and said

“Alex knew where his now-fiancée was going to be and ordered Jarek and I to get her and whoever was with her back here to safety.”

Jarek sat back saying

“I told him ‘Won’t be easy. That girl of yours is a real firecracker.’ Not that I was trying to get out of it.”

Kano nodded before saying

“Alex’s face turned cold, and he hissed ‘Invoke my name if you must but get them here ASAP Yesterday.’ Gah, I swear the kid every day is becoming more and more his father.”

Kabal sat back in shock before he asked

“He’s Shao Kahn’s kid?”

Everyone at the table nodded and Kabal asked

“When do you plan on telling him?”

Kano looked down ashamed before he answered

“I had intended to prior to all of this shit…but I see that maybe things would not have played out as they had.”

Kabal had to agree there. Something about Alex broke Shinnok’s hold on him Stryker and Bi-Han, both of whom were still recovering. Bi-Han’s condition was the worst as he had been the deepest in Shinnok’s hold yet wonder boy Alex somehow freed him. Sadly, the older, former Lin Kuei’s cryomancy had been corrupted beyond saving. The bonus was he still had access to his shadow powers. Kabal shook his head and looked at those around him and got up. Karkas looked at him and asked 

“Where are you going, brother?”  
“To find Alex. I am going to try to talk to him the only way I know-how. Over a tattoo job.”

Siris who had been seated at a nearby table looked down and Kabal looked to him and said

“Cheer up Siris. You have potential. I will show you how it is done. For now, I have to talk to Alex.”

Siris nodded relaxing. Kabal then with his natural speed dashed off, finding Alex with ease, surprising the young man, as he ran him to his part of the living quarters. Alex was a bit surprised to see that Kabal was not some stoic member. Aside from the sketches of tattoo designs strewn about the floor, on the walls were posters for various movies. Alex turned to a shelf and an almost fanboy squeal escaped his lips as he spotted that Kabal had the complete most recent addition of Dungeons and Dragons. The tabletop RPG, unfortunately, came to a grinding halt when its designers were the soldiers who died protecting Earthrealm from Shinnok the first time around twenty-five years ago. Kabal laughed before asking 

“Dungeons and Dragons fan, I take it?”  
“Yes actually. Karkas got me into it. Wait…I…”

Alex carefully took the Dungeon Master’s guide down from the self and opened it to one page. Tucked into the book was the prop letter he had written, as one of the characters to Cassie’s player character.

“I used your books…I am sorry.”  
“Nah don’t be kid. Do you have your own set?”  
“No.”

Kabal smiled at him and said

“I will keep them here, but judging by that fond look, both you and Cassie play. Consider the collection my gift to the both of you.”  
“We couldn’t accept such a gift Uncle.”  
“I insist Alex. I have not played in years; really doubt I will get the chance. Lastly, I know you will respect, take care of, and get more use and enjoyment out of them.” 

Alex really smiled this time and agreed. Kabal then looked at Alex who was Casually dressed. Kabal then said 

“Kiddo, you deserve a far better tattoo than that.”

Kabal pointed to the crappy tattoo on Alex’s arm. Alex smiled at him and said 

“Then I am yours Uncle.” 

Kabal smiled before saying

“Take your shirt off and lay on your stomach, I have an idea in mind for you.”

Alex nodded and did so. Kabal smiles as he pulls his tools out and began to work on the young man’s back, along his shoulders. He worked the ink and skin into a wonderful design of black dragon scales as if they were growing from his back. Once he was finished, he guided the young man to a small group of mirrors where he could see his back.

“Wow, that is amazing Uncle Kabal thank you so much!”  
Kabal smiled at him and said

“I am not finished with you though. That poor design of our logo needs to be covered up, and I have an idea.”

Alex looked at it and nodded allowing the master to continue his fine work. Alex recognized the tattoo style as Outworlder, and he looked at Kabal who said

“I know you are half outworlder and half-human Alex. I tend to ensure the tattoos honor the person’s heritage and interests.”

Alex smiled tearing up at the fact along the full of his right arm was now covered in a tribal design. Alex was impressed at the design and Kabal said 

“If your curious the design means strength and honor.”  
“Wow. That is so cool!”

Alex said noticing that thirteen hours had passed since he first arrived at eight in the morning. Now it was nine at night and Kabal smiled at him saying

“Quality takes time kydu. If you like, you can stay the night with me. Make things easier.”  
“Actually, I would love that Uncle.”

Kabal smiled putting his tools away and then prepping some dinner for the two of them. Alex helped Kabal with dinner and the two rather enjoyed the simple meal and a movie. After both, Kabal saw Alex had fallen asleep. So, he got the young man comfortable and covered him in a blanket before saying to the sleeping young man

“Rest well your highness.”


	39. Worry

Cassie Cage sighed as she spent the day worried about Alex, as she, Jacqui, and Takeda hung out. They were just being young adults, though Cassie could not keep her focus. Jacqui looked at Cassie who was zoned out. They were at the Black Dragon night club just above the main base, since through Alex the three had unlimited access. Jacqui shook her head as Jeremy, their waiter and the same man who helped them get in touch with Alex two years ago, approached them. He gave them a welcoming smile and said

“Ladies, welcome back and welcome sir. I see you already got some drinks; can I be of some service to you?”

Takeda looked at Jacqui who was looking at the zoned-out Cassie. Takeda sighed before asking

“I don’t mean to be a bother, but my friend here is rather concerned about her fiancé, the two are going to be married as soon as the last details are arranged. But until then with respect to tradition, they haven’t really seen much of each other. Given the dangerous lives we all lead, and the fact he was hinted at having possible PTSD as a result, my friend hasn’t been herself, worried sick over him, is there some way she can talk to either him or someone else who knows him well, ease her mind?” 

Jeremy looked around, before squatting down. Faint scars ran along his forehead. His short brown hair and round brown eyes had some lost innocence to them as he said

“I will see what I can do.”

Takeda and Jacqui nodded. Jeremy left to find Fred and Jacqui looked at Takeda and said

“There is a reason you know as to why we came here.”  
“I kinda figured.”

Jacqui nodded as she began

-Flashback-

“I wish it were so simple…no, her dad finally caught on to who you are and forbade Cassie from seeing you.”

Jacqui told Alex as he stood before her and a very drunk Cassie Cage. Alex looked to be in shock before the shock vanished and he said

“Regardless, I am here to take you both home.”  
“That is not a wise idea Alex. Johnny could easily hurt you!”  
“It’s a risk I am willing to take. What I am not willing to take is standing by and not doing anything while you two are here and something worse than either a yelling match or a beat down happens to you both. I-I couldn’t live with myself if I found out either of you had been kidnapped, raped, or murdered.”

Alex said the last bit with a fear unlike him as Jacqui had known him to be strong and calculating. She in a playful manner had called him Scar as Lion King was one of his favorite movies and he accepted that with pride. Now here he was, human and scared. Jacqui knew that despite the hell Alex could catch for being near Cassie, Johnny should at least be grateful Alex did his chivalrous duty to his daughter.

“Alright Alex, let’s go then.”

Alex nodded and escorted Jacqui while holding a now passed-out Cassie close to his chest. He set her in the car next to Jacqui who held her friend the whole hour ride it took to get to Cassie’s dad’s house. Alex parked the car and got Cassie out of the car and stood by to assist Jacqui if need be. The pair walked in silence to the door which was open, and Alex was met by a cold stare from Johnny Cage who had enough decency to let Alex in to lay Cassie down in her bed. Jacqui stayed with Cassie, though she heard little of the conversation between Alex and Johnny, but she heard Alex’s car pull away.

-end flashback-

“Wow, What was Johnny’s beef with Alex anyway?”  
“Black Dragon need I say more?”

Takeda nodded as Karkas came over to them and with one look at Cassie knew what was wrong. He said

“Cassie? Cassie, It’s me Karkas. Please respond. Alex is fine.”

Cassie snapped her head toward the Black Dragon doctor and said

“He’s fine?”  
“For now, yes. I will admit the stress and the trauma from the past month has caused him very sleepless nights and a lack of an appetite.”

Cassie looked worried Karkas smiled

“Last I was aware, my brother Kabal was spending the day with him, considering a tattoo such as mine can take eight hours plus to complete.”

Cassie looked relieved to hear that and Karkas smiled before saying

“Get what you want to eat my treat.”  
“That isn’t…”  
“I insist.”

The three friends smiled as they enjoyed a great meal thanks to Karkas. Takeda looked at Karkas and finally asked

“I take it Karkas, and Kabal are not your guy’s real names?”

Karkas looked at Takeda and with a sigh admitted 

“No, they are not. They are cruel nicknames our father gave us shortly after mother died. My real name is Kenneth Brian Tundra. Kabal’s real name is Kyle Devon Tundra.” 

All three youths looked sick. Takeda having a no-show father could imagine a scenario where his biological father would have done the same. Cassie, whose own father could be perverse, the whole reason after two years her mother got custody of her, could see him doing this too. Jacqui, though her own father was overprotective, she could see only if she crossed the line. Karkas looked at the time seeing as it was nine at night asked

“Do you three have a ride?”

Takeda blushed 

“No, I let these two ladies talk me into walking.”

Karkas laughed a moment before saying 

“Come, I will take you three home.”

This time there was no arguing as Cassie knew Karkas was likely the one Alex learned his manners from. They gathered their things and went with Karkas to his car and all four got in. It was a nice ride that the three would remember as Karkas simply listened to them talk and be young adults.


	40. Reconciliation

Alex looked over at Kano with trepidation. He didn’t trust him after being lied to by Kano. Now he wondered if Kano had always lied to him his entire life. Alex shook his head, trying to read to distract his mind. He wanted so bad to talk to his uncle, but a part of him wanted to get his frustrations out in good old Kombat.

Kano hurt, he saw how Alex looked at him, fear, anger, confusion, and distrust. Kano hated that Alex’s view of him was soured by that one broken promise. Kano reflected and sighed. He knew he wasn’t perfect, Alex was a good kid, but didn’t have the best upbringing because of being raised among the Black Dragons.

Yet the other Dragons called Alex family, as had he. To Alex, he was his uncle. Sure, perverse, and vulgar but Alex didn’t mind. He and Alex were close but now the kid was distant from him. Alex didn’t want anything to do with him though he would still always be there for Alex. He had to be, the kid was all he had now, despite reaching out to his biological uncle and getting to know him better. 

Kano looked over noticing Alex wasn’t as absorbed in his book as he usually was. Kano breathed in and out and said 

“Kid, wat’s on ya mind?”

Alex didn’t answer at first, but finally relented and said

“What you did.”

Kano nodded figuring as much. Now he knew the far-reaching consequences of his attempt to kill Kotal. How the Kahn almost had Alex’s team killed. How because of him, and then O’Ghosty, Shinnok had returned. Alex was a mess because of him. Kano knew there were no words he could say that would make Alex forgive him so easily or trust him so completely ever again. Alex saw him look defeated and realize his actions, and sighed

“I forgive you Uncle, but I don’t trust you.”

Kano’s head snapped around so fast he gave himself whiplash as he said   
“Huh? Mate, yah ok? Forgiving, not someen to mess with.”  
“I know uncle, but I have come to realize that forgiveness eases the soul and mind a lot faster. But it doesn’t mean I trust you though. That you have to earn back”  
“Hard out mate.”

Kano said and Alex smiled at him for the first time in a few months. Kano asked

“I take it yah don’t trus me enou to tell me what’s been up with yah sleep?”

Alex sighed before saying

“I have been having nightmares uncle. Like how it was growing up.”  
“Alex, why didn’t yah saying earlier” 

Alex looks down before saying 

“I didn’t want to worry anyone.”

Kano looked sad. Such was Alex, thinking of others than himself. Kano looked at him and asked

“What did you dream about?”  
“Drowning in sand.”

Alex said and Kano felt off. He didn’t know what to think, but then again, Alex’s visions wheatear in dreams or in a black-out moment came true in some fashion or were not to be ignored. Kano reached over to Alex, grabbing his hand, and said 

“Listen to me kid, I am not going to let any more bad things happen to you. You have suffered enough in your young life. Just focus on the wedding and Cassie.”

Alex nods before he sits back. Kano then thinks 

“Why don’t you hang with your Uncle Ryker, Alex. Get to know him better.”

Alex smiles and agrees. He gets up to get ready to see his uncle. Kano looked worried. He so badly wanted to Alex the truth about his legacy, who his father is, but he was sworn to secrecy.

-Flashback-

Kano looked at the Kahn as he had called him before him. The Kahn looked board but sat up as he saw Kano. Kano could tell the Kahn was uneasy, even before he spoke. Shao Kahn looked at Kano and said his voice deep and baritone 

“Kano, I need something from you.”  
“Yes, your eminence?” 

There was a pause before the Kahn continued

“Should the worse come to pass and you become the guardian of my children, hold off as long as you can from telling them the truth. They deserve as easy as a life as they can get.”

Kano nodded slowly before asking

“Why withhold the truth from them? They will be curious.”  
“Because there will be those that seek to do them harm and I can not allow them to suffer because of me. It is better they believe me a monster and a tyrant than a caring father.”  
“That’s not right your eminence they…”  
“DO NOT AGRUGE WITH ME KANO.”

Kano flinched at the Kahn’s outburst who then with anger in his tone said

“Swear to me you will not tell them, ever!”  
“I swear.”

Kano said and the Kahn nodded before saying 

“Your dismissed.”

-End Flashback-

Kano finished his coffee before he got up. Alex deserved the truth. But he needed to confide in someone first. He picked up his phone and dialed Sonya’s number. Her rather annoyed voice picked up saying

“What do you want Kano?”  
“Sonya, I need your advice.”

Sonya went quiet. Kano was prideful, to admit he needed help was like a dog showing his belly to you. Sonya calmed down and asked

“Something to do with Alex?”  
“Yeah. I at the very least want to tell him about his father, though I swore to him I wouldn’t for as long as I could. I don’t know what to do.”

Sonya’s heart ached. She too had wanted to tell Alex something about his father but didn’t know how to convey to him that his father loved him.

“To be honest Kano, I am stumped too. I wanted to tell Alex too, but can’t find the words to convey to him how much his father loved him.”  
“I really can’t either.”

Kano admitted feeling sad. Sonya could almost see his face with sadness upon it. Kano loved that kid with all his heart and did what he could.

“Maybe if he asks, you tell him, that you care deeply for him and that is how his father feels about him.”


	41. An Uncle's Worry

Ryker was a bit surprised to see Alex come to visit him and his wife Li Mei. His nephew’s demeanor though told him everything. He looked to his wife and said

“Dear, put some soothing tea on. It looks like Alex could really use it.”  
“Alright.”

She said. Ryker then stepped outside to meet his nephew. Alex looked up at him, dark circles were evident under the young Black Dragon’s eyes. 

“Anipsiós mou, ti eínai láthos faínetai kourasménos?”

Alex looked up and said softly

“Theíos efiáltes”

Ryker’s eyes softened. He had a feeling Alex had inherited his mother’s foresight, which often plagued her dreams, this confirmed it.

“A, éla mésa. Tha sas frontísoume.”

Alex only wordlessly nodded letting his uncle take his overnight bag as he had intended to stay the night. Ryker led him inside to the kitchen where a fresh cup of soothing Outworld tea waited for him. Alex gratefully drank the tea, and the warmth and its natural properties calmed Alex to a point his uncle helped him to a guest room and let him lay down to rest. Ryker even tucked him in. Alex fell asleep with ease. Ryker noticed Li Mei watching him with worry

“Is, is his highness ok?”

She asked but Ryker looked at her and sighed

“He is sleep deprived. I am worried about him.”

Li Mei nods. She comes in, seeing how innocent the young prince looks as he sleeps. She finds it hard to imagine that this is the same young man who lost his temper over a broken promise. She held her husband close who said

“Why didn’t you refer to him as your nephew? He is after all.”

Li Mei blushed unsure really. She sighed and looked at her husband and said

“He is the prince first and foremost. The rightful Kahn, not Kotal.”

Ryker nodded though sighed

“He knows so little about himself that I doubt a throne is on his mind, even if out of obligation.”

Li Mei nodded. They let Alex sleep as long as he needed, which was a couple of hours. When Alex woke again, he was still tired, but not so haunted. He was also very hungry. Li Mei smiled at him as she made him some traditional Outworld food, which Alex rather enjoyed. Ryker asked 

“So, who proposed to who?”

Alex smiled, blushing a bit

“It was a double proposal, basically we both had the mind to ask the other. So that is why I have an engagement ring, which I wear on the same cord as the pendants. So that my family is always close to me.”

Ryker and Li Mei smiled at Alex who smiled again. 

“I knew something was up when she took me to a fancy restaurant. I wasn’t honestly prepared for it. I had just intended on something small and intimate between us. Yet, here she was. I was so surprised…I cried, which gave her the wrong impression at first until I was able to tell her that, no I wasn’t sad, just overwhelmed because, and at that moment I pulled out the ring I had for her, and said I wanted to propose to you as well.”

Ryker could see it, them both looking very nice, and Alex, as overwhelmed as his own father, had been because Rena had been so bold as to ask him. Really Alex was in a lot of ways just like his father. He smiled at him and said

“It's funny, it was your mother who proposed to your father, took him by surprise as he too intended to ask her.”

Alex looked at him and said 

“Really? You haven’t spoken about him much. Did you not like him?”

Ryker looked at Alex and sighed before saying

“No far from it.”

Ryker began to tell Alex but never mentioned by name who his father was, though in his mind the memories vividly played as he recalled his sister and Shao Kahn. Their love story had indeed been one for the ages.

-Flashback-

She had always had visions of a strange tall man, who seemed more dragon-like than man. Though she could never understand why she had these visions. She was Rena Athena Darkov, one of the last living descendants of King Leonidas of Sparta. She was six foot two inches tall, had long flowing black hair and lovely blue eyes. As if a blessing bestowed by her middle namesake, she was beautiful but wise, especially when it came to battle strategy. Her twin brother Ryker Ares Darkov was blessed with strength and tenacity from his middle namesake Ares. He looked much like her just male. Ryker was extremely protective of his slightly younger sister as she had been born five minutes after him, having gotten stuck on the way out. 

Rena shook her head, ever since she turned thirteen and had been sent to live in the temple of Apollo due to her visions, she had been graced with visions of the future. Yet this one of her own future surprised her. She never considered love, as she was Callous, brutal, fierce, highly intelligent, tenacious, wise, strategic, and had an ability to organize. Most boys didn’t like her in her twelve years prior to her temple training and now, she was the closest thing to one of the virgin goddesses, which meant she couldn’t marry. 

Unless Apollo was telling her, she could still serve in the role of wife to some man. As the visions got stronger and clearer, she noticed his regal aura. She would sit up in bed late at night trying to still her beating heart. How could such a man she didn’t even know to make her so…like any common girl? 

She had been twenty-seven when she had been snatched by very strange creatures she didn’t recognize. She didn’t even want to look at them as they held her captive. Strangely they did her no harm as they seemed to understand not to touch a holy woman. Perhaps a taboo, she knew some indigenous cultures were like that, no-touch the shaman/shaman’s wife or bring a curse onto yourself. 

Days were spent with descent food and shelter until she heard fighting. In the span of minutes her brother had been there to rescue her, but he wasn’t alone. She gasped in shock. With her brother stood the man from her dreams. Seven-foot-tall, very muscular, crimson eyes, bearing a skull helmet. She was surprised that he knelt beside Ryker and removed his helmet. His eyes went soft as he in a soft voice asked of her

“Are you alright ma’am?”  
“Yes, sir. Thank you. Ummm can I ask why you are here?”

He looked at her then to Ryker who spoke 

“Rena sister, this is Shao Kahn of Outworld. These…things attacked his people and killed some of his family. We met on the way here.”

Shao Kahn nodded before adding

“Your brother is a very brave and skilled fighter, I offered him a place among my guard, though he had one request.”

Rena smirked 

“Me I take it.”  
“You are a quick learner, I like that. Yes. He didn’t want to be parted from you…”

Rena knew where he was headed and said

“There is no further need to explain oh gracious king. If it means a well-paying job, then I will go with Ryker so that he may have this opportunity.”

Both men looked at her blinking, then looked at each other, with Ryker saying

“I guess that settles it, your eminence. You get a new guardsman.” 

The Kahn nodded helping both Ryker and Rena on to their feet. Rena grabbed a discarded sword and the Kahn made an almost deadly mistake saying 

“You should let the men handle the fighting”  
“We Spartans are the only ones who give birth to men”

Ryker flinched biting his tongue to keep from laughing at the burn his sister just hurled at his new boss, The Kahn didn’t look convinced at first until one of the creatures tried to attack him from the side, and Rena in two swings took it out shocking the Kahn and earning an ‘Ata girl’ from Ryker.

Something about Rena set the lover’s flame in the Kahn’s heart, and he made it his mission to “conquer” her too, though he would find out she was more his equal and he rather enjoyed that. She even proved her loyalty to him time and time again. 

-End Flashback-


	42. Team bonding

A few weeks passed since Alex visited his uncle Ryker, he and his team went on a team bonding camping trip. Takeda, Alex, and Kung Jin were excited, but Cassie and Jacqui were enthusiastic as well. Alex was happy to see and be sharing a tent with Cassie. She was also happy. They reached their camp sight which was also not that far from some stores and activities, a decent bike ride. The boys had all three tents properly pitched and secured as the girls pulled up with their food and other gear. Cassie looked at Alex who’s back was to them, and shirtless, as he split wood for their week-long trip. She watched his back muscles flex and move. She was reminded of her first camping trip with her parents

-Flashback-

Cassie had been five years old when they went camping together for the first time. Her parents ensured the five-year-old got the best experiences ever on this trip. Johnny showed her how to pitch a tent properly, and her mother showed her how to split wood. They went fishing, and ate their catch over the fire, and enjoyed smores. Cassie lay awake in the tent listening to the wildlife and had been happy.

-End Flashback-

Cassie snapped back to reality as Alex tapped on the window. She rolled the window down and Alex asked

“Daydreaming about me again?”  
“No weirdo. I actually recalled the last time I was camping which was when I was five.”

Alex smiled at her and helped her out of the car. Cassie was surprised to find that Jacqui and the boys had unloaded the car. Cassie smiled seeing that Alex’s tent, which she would share was large and top of the line, looked brand new. She looked at Alex who shrugged saying

“It was a gift from Uncle Ryker and his unit.”  
“Ok we really need to thank them, and Kabal.”

Alex nodded having told his team that Kabal had given him and Cassie his complete collector's edition collection of D&D fifth edition books. Kung Jin had been the most excited as it had been something he and his dad shared.

-Flashback-

Jin smiled at his dad as they sat at the table with his dad’s friends for Jin’s first game of Dungeons and Dragons. Jin had spent the entire day beforehand working on his character and was rather thrilled to play his monk archer who was human. Bland of an idea as it was, Jin was happy. What Jin hadn’t known was this would be the last time he’d see his father ever.

-End Flashback-

Jin was pulled from his thoughts as he heard Alex laughing at something and it turned out Takeda tried using his whips for something and fell on his butt as a result. Jin smirked. He looked over at Jacqui who had chairs set up around their small fire. Alex helped Takeda sit down, and in seriousness asked 

“You alright?”  
“Yeah, just a sore butt.”

Alex nodded as Jacqui sat beside Takeda. Alex took a seat nearby and Cassie sat beside him. The last chair Jin sat in. It was nice to just be young adults. Cassie said 

“Hey, Jacqui tell the boys about your first Kickboxing match.”

Jacqui giggled and began

-Flashback-

Jacqui had been quite good at Kickboxing and here she was at her first match. She had dominated so far. Now though one kid stood between her and first place. However, when she saw the kid, an autistic boy who was a bit put off by the noise and seemed bothered, she knew what she had to do. She didn’t make it easy for the boy, but she also didn’t give it her all either. In the end, the boy won. He though knew what she had done and was grateful. Second place felt better to her anyway.

-End Flashback-

Everyone was thrilled and Alex said

“Your parents must have been proud.”  
“Yeah, dad understood why I let him have the victory, it may have been his only victory ever.”

They nod. Alex sat back, he thought back to being ten years old and getting to go to Brony Con because Kano had bought him tickets.

-Flashback-

Alex smiled, dressed up in the golden armor of the solar guard of equestrian for Brony Con. His ebony hair dyed blonde with blue contacts in his eyes to cover up his natural red. He looked around in awe and with some nervousness, they were in the vendor’s hall and he saw several of his favorite Youtube Bronies. He met Silver Quill, Dr. Wolf, Lighting Bliss, and the last he met was Firebrand, the very pony he was dressed as. The commander looked down at him and said

“Great Cosplay of me kiddo.”

Alex gushed with happiness. To hear that made his day.

-End Flashback-

Alex smirked, he hadn’t yet told Firebrand that they have met before, that is how damn good Kira and Korba’s work was. Soon enough, after having dinner and smores as the sunset, Takeda and Jacqui got up for an evening walk, by the moonlight. Jacqui looked at Takeda and said

“You mentioned that you and your mother took evening moonlight walks.”  
“Yeah, it’s something I miss doing with her, it was our thing.”

Jacqui smiled before she said

“Could you tell me more?”

Takeda nodded

-Flashback-

Takeda was only six as he walked with his mother Suchen in the woods near their home. It was a peaceful way for them to end the night most nights. Takeda used this time to just ramble on. His mind a whirl. Suchen smiled listening to her son talk until they returned home, and she would get him ready for bed. By then Takeda would be very tired. She would tuck him in and hug and kiss him goodnight.

-End Flashback-

Takeda teared up, as they walked back to camp. Alex sensed this and hugged his friend without a word. That was all Takeda needed before they turned in for the night.


End file.
